


The Sum of Our Parts

by Vixen13



Series: Haikyuu fics [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Canon Compliant, Gender politics, Hurt/Comfort, Hypnotism, M/M, Mating Bond, Omegaverse, Talent AU, Volleyball, alpha!kageyama, dubcon, non-typical ABO themes, omega!hinata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-14 16:32:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11787069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixen13/pseuds/Vixen13
Summary: Kageyama had never paid much attention to gender politics, as they never really affected him or how he played volleyball. But when a new law threatens the safety of Hinata, how far is Kageyama willing to go to protect his partner? When politics start infiltrating his insulated world of sports, what can he do to keep everyone on the court?What happens when the lies Kageyama is telling start to become his truth?What happens when Hinata discovers what Kageyama has done?Complete!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *busts up into the Haikyuu fandom* Hey, guys! Tbh, I thought that if I ever dropped into this fandom, it would be because of a story about a bunch of personal headcanons and rare pairs. Who would have guessed I’d end up writing Kagehina?! Not me!
> 
> Important things to note about my writing: I write mature themes, I write detailed sex, I write dark and fluff in some weird hybrid, and I like breaking the rules.
> 
> This will be abo, but it won’t be typical to abo stories. Major points of interest in my world:  
> \- Sex: male, female, intersex  
> \- Gender: alpha, beta, omega  
> \- Unless a person has a sex that offers them a functional uterus and ovaries, there will be no babies growing. That means anyone with the sex “male” will not be able to grow children. Anyone with the sex “female” will not have a penis. (I am obviously not working with any kind of trans anything in this story - for the sake of simplicity. I want to do a trans story, but today is not that day.) Intersex covers a lot of ground irl _and_ in this story, and will be brought up as a plot point, but I won’t be delving into details this fic. (I _have_ written that story. heh)  
>  \- Talent: A Talent is basically a small magical ability, limited in its uses. Varies per person, usually, but the same _type_ of Talent can be taught to future generations of the same family line. It’s rare to have a Talent. Further details will be included in the chapters.
> 
> The reason I’m differentiating sex and gender is because my headcanon is that an abo world would be more focused on gender (alpha/beta/omega) and the assumed attributes of what those would mean for a person. In example, alphas are “dominant and strong”, but omegas are “weak and submissive”. These attributes may not be true for individuals, but it’s an assumed social norm and gender imbalances are caused by those beliefs.
> 
> Also important to note: I came up with this idea because I saw a silly comic of Kageyama trying to hypnotize Hinata to calm the little giant before a game but instead tried to convince Hinata that Kageyama was his boyfriend. It was funny and cute and I took it to a dark place. @.@ Oops. I dunno where that comic is, but if you see it, I’ll link to the source of my inspiration.  
> (Someone found it! Apparently it's part of a doujin. Part 9 of "kagehina drops" by koshianko/tamagoya. I just happened to see that one clip floating around Tumblr. lol)  
>  
> 
> **THIS IS VERY HEAVY DUBCON. If this bothers you, please don’t force yourself to read this. It’s not gonna get much better as the chapters continue. Prejudice, gender slurs, possible homophobic language, and moderate violence will show up in this fic. DARK PLOT. Please tread carefully.**
> 
>  
> 
> I think those are all my notes! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your stay! <3

**_Holism_ **

_Ho·lism   noun   philosophy_

_the theory that parts of a whole are in intimate interconnection, such that they cannot exist independently of the whole, or cannot be understood without reference to the whole, which is thus regarded as greater than the sum of its parts. Holism is often applied to mental states, language, and ecology._

 

 

Kageyama didn’t did pay much attention to politics, and less so to gender politics. Not that he needed to. He was an alpha, and from a family of alphas, and from a long line of generational Talents. Kageyama wasn’t really affected by what happened in the government.

Though, in all fairness, Kageyama probably wouldn’t pay much attention to politics even if it did affect him. He didn’t pay much attention to anything outside of volleyball these days. That was just fine with him. Volleyball was straightforward, with rules and goals, and nothing would change that. Politics didn’t affect sports.

Or so he thought.

He was halfway through his second year in high school, and walking into the club room should have meant excited and nervous chatter about upcoming games. Instead, he walked into a heated debate about a new law Kageyama had paid no attention to prior to that day.

“That can’t possibly be legal!” Kinoshita was arguing. “That’s like, just, gathering people up, and throwing them in an internment camp. They can’t do that!”

“That is exactly what it is!” Narita’s voice was bitter and full of anxiety. He paced, while staring at something on his phone. “Except under the guise of a ‘medical facility.’ They’re going to try and rip my cousin out of his home!”

Kageyama blinked. “What’s going on?”

“They’re talking about the new omega law,” Yamaguchi clarified.

Kageyama blinked again. “What law?”

Tsukishima made a rude noise, and rolled his eyes. “Of course you don’t know.”

“It passed today,” Ennoshita cut in before a fight could start. He took his role as captain very seriously, and managed the rest of the team fairly well. “It only affects male omegas.”

“Exactly!” Kinoshita sounded excited as he turned back to Narita. “Weren’t you talking about your cousin possibly being intersex?”

“We don’t know for sure if he is, but the family is already taking him to get a battery of tests done. There’s still no guarantee that it’ll keep him safe…”

“It’s just a medical facility,” Yamaguchi tried to sooth. “To see why male omegas are becoming more common.”

“Why does it matter?” Narita snapped. “Is that an excuse to pull someone out of their daily lives? They didn’t ask to get born that way!”

“It’s fine if they’re attached to an alpha,” Tsukishima sneered. The beta never missed an opportunity to state his opinion on how much he disliked deferential alpha treatment. “Can’t have the poor alphas getting upset about taking away their bond mate.”

“He’s just a kid!” Narita fretted. “He shouldn’t have to worry about alphas yet, much less worry about getting pulled out of his home.”

“I’m sure that won’t happen…” Yamaguchi murmured, but he was overpowered by Narita’s continuing agitation.

Kageyama was distracted from the conversation at the sound of a locker closing. Hinata was in the corner, so quiet and still, that Kageyama hadn’t even noticed him. Despite being in the club room for a while, Hinata was still in his practice clothes. He abruptly turned, picked up his bag, and headed back out the door. Knowing Hinata, he was headed back to the gym for extra practice.

“Can I read that?” Kageyama asked, pointing at Narita’s phone. It was handed over to him as the discussion continued, but Kageyama blocked it out. He focused on the article displayed on the phone, though he didn’t understand a lot of the legal jargon.

The conversation had summed it up, mostly. Male omegas were being considered a “genetic disease” and were being moved, supposedly at random, into government controlled medical facilities to study why the oddity was happening, and to prevent it in the future.

Kageyama had been raised much like everyone else, to believe that all alphas were male, and all omegas were female. That omegas were known for their high birth rates, and ability to produce healthy children. That alphas were born leaders, and that their genes were superior to others.

Life and experience had taught Kageyama that things weren’t so clear cut in the real world. Despite his family line being all alphas — and a Talent family, at that — Kageyama had a hard time getting _anyone_ to listen to him, be they alpha, beta, or omega. Other alphas, betas, and omegas he’d met didn’t fit the stereotypes either.

Not to mention his mother was an alpha. That was rare, and he knew that. The phenomena of female alphas had been more widely accepted, as alpha pairs tended to produce alpha children. This was seen as a blessing, thus alpha females usually had an omiai ready at a young age, and were bargained off to the best family. Such a thing had happened to Kageyama’s own mother.

Growing up, Kageyama had seen first hand how people had placed expectations on his mother. How she should act, speak, dress, or raise her children. These ideas varied person to person, and yet all of them seemed to think it was a widely accepted reality. His mother had brushed off the comments with long practiced poise and dignity, and Kageyama had quickly learned to ignore what people said, just as his mother did.

Still, people had expectations of him, as well. A son of two alphas, people would look at him as if he would be irrationally angry and demanding. People would resist anything he had to say, as if doing so proved their own strength of will. Kageyama had spent a lot of time trying to determine what it was people wanted out of him.

Volleyball had helped Kageyama in learning that he didn’t want others to dictate what he could and couldn’t do. He wanted to be a setter, because it was a position or power on the team. The setter controlled everything. However, Kageyama wasn’t interested in being captain. He knew he wouldn’t be good at it. That didn’t stop other alphas from insisting that he should try for that anyways, as it was “expected” of him.

Of course, those were the people that supported his decision to enter sports. Many alphas agreed that sports was a place for betas to pretend to be better than others, and alphas should concentrate on education in order to become “true leaders” in the future. Kageyama’s grandmother was of that opinion.

Kageyama set the phone beside Narita, and turned to look at the club room door. Not so long ago, Kageyama had gotten to know a male omega. Said omega did everything he could to hide his scent, overload on suppressants, and act like a beta. Despite that, Hinata didn’t focus so much on hiding his secrets. Instead, he focused on volleyball. Kageyama could respect that.

This law could very well mean that Hinata would be pulled from the team, from the school, from his family, and from the city. There were scheduled mandatory health screenings of students over the next few months. Even if Hinata’s medical records were somehow hidden currently, they would figure it out when they came to run the tests.

Hinata was careful, but not actively so. It was more a force of habit that kept others from realizing what he was. Kageyama had known since that day in middle school by the bathrooms, when he had smelled Hinata’s anxiety, and it pulled at Kageyama’s chest like an unwanted craving. He wasn’t sure how many of the others on the team knew, but he was fairly certain Tsukishima was aware, though Kageyama didn’t understand why someone so annoying had yet to say anything about it.

Kageyama made his way back out of the club room, and down the stairs. He could hear noise echoing from the gym. Hinata was already setting the net back up. Kageyama headed there himself, unsure of exactly what he wanted to say, or how to say it.

When he walked in, Hinata was satisfied with the net, and was pulling out a ball, sizing it up with a deep breath. His head jerked up when he saw Kageyama enter the gym, and a bright smile flashed across his face.

“Toss to me?”

“Hn.”

Since Kageyama didn’t know what else to do, he just agreed to their normal rhythm. Hinata tossed the ball into the air, and Kageyama set it. The echoing bang reverberated around the room as Hinata spiked.

“One more!”

It was an easy thing to fall into. Kageyama’s mind went blank as they did the move over and over again. Hinata was entirely focused on the net, the ball, the right angle — imagining players trying to block him, and how to get past them. The look on his face was pure joy at being able to fly into the air, and spike hard to the other side.

The ball went up, twirling over his head as he prepared to set it, and Kageyama suddenly wondered what it would be like if Hinata wasn’t there to hit it… He caught the ball, stilling their movements. Hinata stumbled to a stop, and looked up in confusion, a worried frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

Of course Hinata was worried about others instead of himself. The idiot. Kageyama frowned at the ball in his hands. Hinata loved volleyball as much as he did, and that was rare. Kageyama wondered what it would be like to not be able to do this again, to not be able to feel the touch of it in his hands, or the rush of competition.

“What are you going to do?” The words fell out of Kageyama’s mouth without him really thinking about them. They were blunt and flat, expectant of an answer.

Hinata looked away. “I’m going to spike, if you’d set it.”

“You know what I mean.”

“And that’s my answer.” Hinata walked over and took the ball back. “I only have so much time to enjoy this. I wanna remember this feeling as long as I can. One more!”

Hinata threw the ball up, but Kageyama caught it again, anger washing over his expression as he glared at Hinata. “That’s it? You’re just going to let them drag you away?”

“What else am I supposed to do? I can’t fight the whole country, Bakageyama!”

“You could try to hide—”

“That’s the same thing! Hiding from my life, or getting forced away from it. It’s the same thing!” Hinata stormed away to the container that held the other spare balls, and picked up another. “I just want to play volleyball! Are you going to set for me or not?”

“Then make a contract with an alpha!” Kageyama pressed.

Hinata whirled around, anger making his limbs tight. He held the ball between his hands in a white knuckled grip. “No! I’m not giving my life over to some alpha that wants to lock me up, and take away my rights! I’m _never_ going to be with an alpha!”

“If it was an alpha you trusted—”

“I can’t trust that! Could you? Could you just _trust_ that someone won’t take advantage of you once some stupid bonding document says that all your autonomy belongs to the alpha?”

Kageyama blinked in surprise. It was shocking that Hinata knew the word “autonomy” and to be honest, Kageyama didn’t know what it meant himself. (Though he had an idea of what Hinata was talking about.) That meant that Hinata was read up on the subject, and was worrying about the laws, even if he wasn’t talking about it.

Once an omega was bonded, it was assumed that the pair would be married at the earliest possible date. Sometimes bonding happened young, and marriage would have to wait until legal age to do so. So bonding documents were drawn up to show that an omega belonged to the alpha they were bonded to.

Hinata wasn’t wrong. All rights of the omega deferred to the alpha. Bonded omegas rarely did anything other than stay at home, and take care of the house, and have children. That wasn’t always the fault of the alpha. Many people assumed bonded omegas would be unreliable, as they would always have to obey their alpha, even over the rules of their employers. Hiring omegas was considered a risk or a charity case.

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Kageyama tried again.

“You don’t understand! You _can’t_ understand!”

“I don’t understand why you’re just giving up!” Kageyama shouted, frustrated and scared for his teammate, his partner, his friend.

“It’s the same outcome no matter what I do!” Hinata’s breathing was hard and fast, tears wetting his eyelashes. “I just want to live a normal life, and I don’t get to!”

Hinata was shaking, and he looked ready to bolt. He threw the ball to the side, and gripped his stomach with both arms, as the color drained from his face. If Hinata ran, there would be nobody there to beat some sense into him.

Before Kageyama could even consider what he was doing, he stepped forward and grabbed Hinata’s face, yanking it up to force eye contact. His Talent welled up inside of him, and magic laced his words when he spoke.

“Stop.”

Hinata went limp, eyes still fixed on Kageyama’s. His knees were weak, and they trembled, barely keeping him standing. Kageyama wrapped his arms around the smaller person, and lowered them both to the ground. Hinata’s breathing evened out, and he relaxed under Kageyama’s grip.

Kageyama sat back, and swallowed hard. His particular Talent was hypnosis. He could place a suggestion without the subject ever knowing about it. Hinata had easily fallen to Kageyama’s ability, which was no surprise. The Kageyama family trained their alphas from birth in how to master their particular brand of hypnosis Talent.

Though Kageyama hadn’t intended to force a hypnotic state, the urge to do something with it was strong. He could fix this. He could convince Hinata of a better option, and in such a way that Hinata would be okay with it. This wouldn’t be an easy suggestion. It would be long and complicated and it was something he most certainly shouldn't do.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Kageyama opened his mouth and— “We’ve been dating for a while.”

 _Shit, shit, shit._ He shouldn’t do this!

A wide, radiant smile spread across Hinata’s face. “Really?”

The trance was still in place, so Hinata’s voice had a dazed and airy quality, while his eyes were slightly unfocused. Despite that, Hinata was looking at Kageyama like the suggestion was the best idea in the world. To his surprise, Kageyama’s chest tightened painfully.

“Yes. I’m not like what you thought an alpha would be. I let you argue with me, and choose your own path if you don’t like what I say. I respect your opinion, and I want you to do what makes you happy.”

“Ah! That’s what I want.” Hinata hummed happily. “How did you ask me out?”

Questions were fairly normal when setting a detailed suggestion in someone’s mind. It was the subject’s way of trying to consolidate the implanted memory with their previous reality. Though Kageyama was prepared for that, he still wasn’t sure how to answer the question.

“How do you think it happened?”

Hinata bit his bottom lip as he thought, and his face lit up with excitement when he answered. “You would have been nervous, and even angrier looking, and you would have said that you liked me so growly-like that I didn’t even understand you were confessing.”

Well… It sounded like something he would do, as embarrassing as that was to admit. “That’s what happened.”

Hinata giggled.

“We didn’t tell the team because we wanted to stay focused on practice.”

“Yes.”

“You were fine with taking things slow.”

Hinata nodded, a grin stretching his face. “Do you hold my hand when we walk back after school?”

Kageyama’s gut clenched. Since when was Hinata so touchy-feely? This was embarrassing. “Of course. Every day.”

“Even when we’re fighting?”

“Yes.”

“Good. What happened with our first kiss?”

Kageyama fidgeted. “What did you want your first kiss to be like?” May as well give Hinata something happy to falsely remember.

“I wanted it to happen after a perfect day, when the other person was so excited that kissing was the only thing to do.”

“Last year, when we beat Shiratorizawa, I kissed you after the game.”

Hinata giggled again. “I like you.”

A hot wave of protectiveness washed over Kageyama. All school students and personnel were on suppressants in order to facilitate a focused learning environment. It was rare that Kageyama felt his alpha urges. But looking at Hinata’s trusting smile, and hearing those words, caused a strong rush of feelings that Kageyama didn’t even know he had wanted to feel until that moment. It was terrifying and exciting all at once.

Kageyama took a steadying breath. “When we found out about the new law, we decided to bond mark each other in order to keep you safe. The bonding contract is just for show, just to make them leave us alone. We’ll still date at the pace you want us to.”

Hinata looked mildly upset, and his bottom lip stuck out slightly. “But biting hurts.”

Really? That was Hinata’s deepest concern? Kageyama suppressed the urge to yell at Hinata. The suggestion couldn’t afford to have any of Kageyama’s biting comments or annoyance in it.

“It won’t hurt. It will be the same feeling as when you spike a ball and make it past the Iron Wall.”

A toothy grin stretched to its fullest across Hinata’s face. “Really?!”

“Yes. I’m going to mark you, and it is going to feel good, and then we are going to feel relaxed, because you’re safe, and can continue living life how you want to.” Kageyama pushed a bit more magic into his voice to solidify the suggestion.

Hinata’s eyes were still slightly unfocused, but they sparkled with excitement as he stared at Kageyama. “Do you like me?”

Kageyama swallowed hard. “Yes. I like you.”

“I like you, too!”

It was just a suggestion, a ruse to protect Hinata from himself and others. So why did it hurt so much to hear that?

Instead of delving into that further, Kageyama broke eye contact, and pulled the neck of Hinata’s shirt to the side to expose the skin underneath. Hinata hummed happily, and let his eyes droop closed, tilting his head for better access. Shoving nerves aside, Kageyama dropped his head down, and sunk his teeth into the crook of Hinata's neck, directly above the scent gland.

He bit hard, sinking his teeth further and further until he tasted the first hints of blood. It was important to break skin in order to leave a scar. Underneath him, Hinata purred, his limbs tense with excitement. The suggestion was blowing past the pain he would have otherwise felt.

When Kageyama pulled back, Hinata was eager to pounce and bite back, babbling about how good it had felt, and wanting to return the favor. Kageyama hissed as teeth drove into his skin. Usually bond marks were made during sex, when other things were happening and distracting the participants. Kageyama didn’t have a distraction or a hypnotic suggestion to help lessen the pain.

He gripped at the man in his arms, trying to hide his pain, and stay still until Hinata was done. It felt like it went on forever before the orange puff of hair moved, and the pain receded to a dull throb. Hinata was grinning, eye scrunched in excitement, blood smearing his teeth.

Kageyama dropped a quick kiss on Hinata’s lips, and then pulled the man into a hug so that he couldn’t see the torrent of conflicting emotions washing across Kageyama’s face. Hinata snuggled into Kageyama’s frame, happy and content over what had just happened. The suggestion was set, and Hinata was safe. He would believe everything he said to others about their relationship. Nobody would ever have to know what Kageyama did. They were safe.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught Kageyama’s attention. His eyes cut over to the slightly opened door of the supply room. Yachi stood there, hands over her mouth in both shock and an attempt to keep herself quiet, while staring at them both in dismay.

Who knew how long she had been there, and how much she had seen. From the look on her face and he careful avoidance of eye contact, Kageyama would hazard to guess that she’d been watching them the whole time. It was certainly a bad thing, he just didn’t know _how_ bad it would be for her to know the truth of the situation. He’d have to talk to her to find out.

Her hands shakily lowered to her chin before she whispered. “What did you do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama cares for Hinata and thinks he’s doing the right thing. However, the hypnosis is non-consensual. Moving forward, Hinata is functioning under his own free will, but his belief of the relationship and past memories of the relationship are false and implanted information. His trust in Kageyama is subject to change based on Kageyama’s actions and what Hinata personally wants from a relationship. The duality of consent and non-consent is what makes this fic dubcon.
> 
> I. Am. Aware. Of. The. Non. Con. Elements. Of. This. Story.
> 
> Anyone leaving comments trying to explain to me why this is noncon will be deleted. I’m not an idiot and I’m not going through that hot mess again (it happened on another dubcon fic I wrote). This is your only warning.
> 
> If I haven’t scared you off, I hope to see you in the comments. <3 lol
> 
> Another note: Some of the nicknames for characters translate well, like Shittykawa. Some do not, like Idiotyama. Bakageyama is technically mashing the second a and the e together into a weird noise, but writing Bakaeyama/Bakageyama doesn’t read as well in my head, so I wanted to change it to Bakayama because it flowed better and fit the syllables of his name. However, I got yelled at for doing it. XD Picky fandom. ;-p I also wanted to write “boke” instead of “dumbass” because I can so clearly hear it in my head from where he screams it in the show. lol But common fanfic agreement is to use “dumbass” so I did. (Bokeyama fits so well, tho. Why didn’t Hinata use that? XD)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sings* I have noooo chill~   
> *posts next chapter*

Hinata was happily running around and cleaning up the gym. The bandage on the side of his neck stood out like a flashing neon sign of what they had done. Kageyama sat patiently in a chair as Yachi fussed with the first aid kit, and applied a bandage to his neck as well.

“Did you hypnotize him?”

Yachi had held her tongue the entire time, focusing only on the fact that they were bleeding. Now, she asked the question soft enough for only Kageyama to hear.

“Yes.” No point in trying to mince words about it.

“With a Talent?”

“Yes.”

“Oh…” She was silent for a time as she made sure the bandage would stay in place. “Can you undo it?”

“Yes.”

“...Will you?”

Kageyama took a deep breath. “He’s an idiot. The suggestion will stay until he’s safe. After that, I can remove it. Assuming he doesn’t break up with me before that. I’m aware that I’m not anyone’s first pick for a mate.”

“But you hypnotized him into thinking you were together. Why would he break up with you?” Yachi pulled her hands to her chest, casting Kageyama a worried look.

“The suggestion only refers to the past, not the future. He’d have to actually like me in order to be happy with me from here on out. Unless I add constant suggestions, which I won’t do.”

“Oh…”

“This is just to keep him safe.” Kageyama turned to look at Yachi who kept her eyes on her feet.

“I know… It’s why I didn’t stop you earlier…” Yachi glanced over to Hinata as he ran around the gym with his usual boundless energy. “I owe Hinata, for making me believe that I could still be a part of this team even though I’m an omega — just a Townsperson B.”

“I won’t do anything to hurt him.”

Yachi blushed, and looked back down at her feet. “I believe you. You’re a good person. Just…” She swallowed and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Won’t he be mad when you undo the— the thing?”

“Anyone would be…” Kageyama said quietly, and looked down at his hands. “But it’s fine. It’s just long enough to get him through the medical checks. He can be mad at me later. At least he’s safe for now.”

“So in the meantime you have to greet his parents, and make a contract, and then date.” Yachi pointed out all the parts Kageyama had been trying to ignore.

“Hn… I’ll have to greet his parents tonight. There’s no way we can hide the bonding mark.”

“They’ll probably be suspicious.”

Kageyama frowned hard as his nerves kicked up. Trying to convince Hinata’s parents that he wasn’t trying to use Hinata for his sexual alpha urges was going to be tough. That was not something he wanted to deal with, but he  _ would _ deal with it. Anything was better than Hinata being locked away in some unknown place.

“Hey!” 

Hinata’s voice cut through his thoughts, and he looked up into wide and warm eyes. “What?”

“Why do you have that face?” Hinata poked at the frown line between Kageyama’s eyebrows, and Kageyama slapped the hand away.

“I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

“I’ll have to greet your parents tonight.”

“Ohhh!” The realization must have just occurred to Hinata, as his eyes went wide and his mouth formed a perfect circle. “My mom’s gonna lecture our ears off because we’re still in school!”

“Yeah…”

“You should let them know why you did it, and that there was no, ah,  _ activities _ involved.” Yachi blushed a deep red as she said it.

“That’ll probably help.” Hinata nodded. “My mom has been really worried lately.”

“Of course she has, dumbass.” Kageyama clicked his tongue as he stood up from the chair. He couldn’t stop the comment from falling out of his mouth the way it had, which was exactly why he was going to make such a terrible pretend mate.

Yet, when he looked up, Hinata had a little affectionate smile on his face. He reached out and brushed his fingers down the back of Kageyama’s hand in a barely there whisper of a touch. “Yeah… Everybody’s been worrying.”

Kageyama swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“I’ll lock up!” Yachi announced. “You two go get changed, and head back.”

“Thanks, Yachi!” Hinata said with a bright smile.

“Thank you…” Kageyama murmured, far more subdued, but with a lot more meaning behind it. She simply smiled at them both.

The pair didn’t speak much as they walked back, but Kageyama insisted that they catch a bus instead of trying to get two people to ride a single bike up that hill. Hinata slipped his hand into Kageyama’s at some point during the ride. Hinata’s fingers were warm and calloused, the feeling of them hummed along Kageyama’s hand and up his arm.

Kageyama turned and looked out the window at the passing landscape. He couldn’t even look at Hinata — couldn’t even address the very mundane thing happening between them. They were going to have a contract soon stating that they were mate bonded. Yet here he was, struggling not to blush over a simple hand holding.

Something Hinata thought they had done for a while.

It was supposed to be easy to just play pretend for long enough to get Hinata past the school wide examination. Yet Kageyama was quickly learning that his acting skills were not up to par. If Hinata thought they had been dating for so many months, would Kageyama’s sudden stiffness seem out of place? Would it look like Kageyama was regretting the decision to bond?

A heavy thump landed on his shoulder. He looked down to see a poof of orange hair. A soft snore sounded a moment later. Hinata was relaxed enough to simply fall asleep. Or perhaps relieved enough at his own safety that exhaustion had caught up.

Kageyama squeezed his fingers for a moment. He could do this. They could do this. One way or another, Kageyama would make sure to keep Hinata safe.

 

~*~

 

Kageyama never thought he’d  _ want _ to see the school examination happen, but there he was, hoping it would happen sooner rather than later. His pretend relationship wasn’t going well at all. Hinata’s family had been less than thrilled, and were constantly throwing questions that Kageyama struggled to deflect. Oddly enough, Hinata smoothed over a lot.

It seemed Hinata’s memories of them being partners on a team had been warped by the suggestion that was placed. Everything took on an embarrassingly romantic filter in Hinata’s mind, and Kageyama found himself constantly mortified at what was coming out of Hinata’s mouth. It didn’t help his tendency to scowl  _ at all _ .

Of course, Hinata’s family was at least concerned about important issues, like Hinata’s health, safety, and future. Kageyama’s parents had been livid, but only because he’d ended up bonded to an omega. They pressured him daily to cancel the contract, but Kageyama refused. They finally stopped yelling once it was drawn up and signed, but only because they had no other choice. Life at home was still a nightmare, though, and Kageyama spent a lot of time locked in his room to escape the constant flow of underhanded comments about “maintaining the purity of the family.”

Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei had not been pleased, either. They held a meeting with the pair, and lectured for a while about responsibility and how young they were. Both elders were a little more sympathetic to their fears, however. Apparently Takeda-sensei had been worrying over Hinata as well when he had first heard about the law.

Still, despite everything and everyone’s concerns, Kageyama held firm in his decision. The only thing putting a damper on it was himself.

It was inevitable that Hinata would say something about Kageyama’s behavior. The night it happened, Hinata didn’t insist on as much after school practice, and instead pulled Kageyama along to the dark and deserted playground at the park. He propped his bike against a tree, and then turned to Kageyama with hands planted on his hips.

“I think you’re taking it a bit too far.”

Sometimes, Kageyama had no idea how Hinata’s mind worked. “What?”

“I get that you’re trying to give me space after the the bond mark so I don’t feel pressured, or I don’t freak out that you’re trying to give me orders. That’s nice and all, but you’re going a bit too far, don’t you think?”

_ You’re such an idiot! _ Kageyama raged in his own mind, but frankly, it worked in his favor this time. “That’s what you’re worried about, isn’t it? Me going alpha on you.”

Hinata dropped his hands to swing by his side as he kicked at some dirt. His head was tipped down, focused on the bits of grass he was sending flying. “I mean, yeah, but you’re always bossy, and I’ve never listened to you before.”

“Honestly, it’d be nice if you listened to me at least once.”

Hinata gave a quick chuckle at that before his face dropped into quiet thinking. He finally asked, “Are you going to be mad if I don’t listen to you?”

“Anyone would be mad.”

“I know… but like… a different kind of mad.”

Kageyama sighed. “I’m not going to be mad just because you’re ‘my omega’ and didn’t do what I said. I’ll be mad for the same reasons I’m always mad.”

A little smile pulled at Hinata’s lips, and he peeked up through his lashes. “Okay…”

For a moment, Kageyama was pretty sure his heart stopped. Nobody should be allowed to look that cute. It was against the laws of nature. He quickly looked away, and felt his face forming into his usual scowl. He really needed to work on that.

“Also…” But Hinata trailed off. In the blink of an eye, he was all big smiles and no concerns again. “We should get back before it gets too late.”

He started walking off, but Kageyama grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. “What?”

“Nothing.” Hinata was terrible at lying.

“Hinata, I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s nothing. I just thought it was getting late…” But Hinata wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“If I’m doing something to upset you—”

“No! Nothing like that.” Hinata pulled his hand back, and folded his arms over his chest, looking anywhere but at Kageyama. “You’ve been a perfect gentleman.”

“Except that is apparently making you worried.”

“No, it’s just… It’s just me. Forget it.”

Kageyama gritted his teeth, and refused to speak so he wouldn’t yell and throw insults like he wanted to. No, he had to play this right. He had to be a good mate, not someone Hinata felt shackled to, which he was obviously already failing at.

“Hinata… Are you… regretting it?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking it. He had to know, had to figure out a way to fix it in time without having to lay down another suggestion. The thing he wanted least was to use his magic again.

“No!” Hinata’s head jerked up and he looked at Kageyama with wide and intense eyes. “Nonono! I’m not. I promise. I’m justing thinking about stupid things.”

“If you can’t talk to your mate about stupid things, then who can you talk to about them?” Something tight was relaxing in his chest, though, after hearing that.

Hinata blushed, and looked down at his feet again. It took a long time, and Kageyama was valiantly patient and silent. Finally, Hinata mumbled, “Aren’t alphas supposed to be more… touchy… after bonding?”

Oh. 

_ Ohhh… _

Shit.

“I…” Kageyama swallowed, and his throat clicked. Why was it suddenly so dry? “I don’t want you to feel pressured.” More like he didn’t want to do something that future Hinata would hate him for, but he couldn’t say that.

If possible, Hinata’s face became an even deeper shade of red. “I don’t mean, like, that stuff… But… I mean, I’m a guy and all… But… I just… I have the urge to touch— Y-ya know, like holding hands and hugging and stuff…” Hinata peeked up through his lashes again. “Don’t you?”

Kageyama felt every muscle in his body tighten up. Why was this so hard to talk about? Others in their class were sneaking to the rooftop and having sex. What kind of embarrassed virgins did this make them for them to be bonded and afraid of doing more than holding hands?

The scowl was strong.

“Of course I do.” It came out as an angry mutter, but it was the best he could manage.

Hinata fidgeted for a moment before lurching forward, and wrapping his arms around Kageyama’s torso, face buried in Kageyama’s chest. It took a long few moments for Kageyama to move his leaden arms, but he at last managed to put them around Hinata in return.

There was no denying it. Hinata was right. It felt better to touch. The weight of Hinata’s body, the heat from his skin, the sound of his breath, it satisfied something deep inside Kageyama he hadn’t even known was there. Was this all based on pheromones and biology? And if it was, did it matter?

This was something Kageyama hadn’t even considered when he placed that suggestion. What happened when the craving to be together was still there, but the magic that enabled it was gone? Forward thinking wasn’t his strong suit.

“Can we do this more?” Hinata mumbled into his chest.

“Yes…”

“Good.”

Hinata snuggled in tighter, pressing their bodies close, and Kageyama closed his eyes and prayed for strength.

 

~*~

 

Nishinoya and Tanaka eyeballed the couple. They were in the middle of practice, but everything was on hold so the two seniors could have a chat with their kouhai.

“Since when?” Nishinoya grilled.

It had been two weeks since the bonding mark, and one week since Hinata had asked for more touch. Since then, they had been less conspicuous about their relationship. They had done their best to hide the bonding marks under scentblocker patches and people were polite enough to not ask questions. Until now.

Hinata rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “For a while? It hasn’t affected the team at all!”

“You two are too young to bond mark!” Tanaka scolded.

Tsukki rolled his eyes. “You sound like a grandfather.”

“Stay out of this!” Tanaka snapped, before turning back to Kageyama. “You’ve always been pushy…”

Kageyama gritted his teeth, and stayed quiet. After the reputation he had gained in middle school, it was inevitable that everyone would think of him as a demanding alpha. He had been the cliche overbearing alpha on the court, and it was obvious to anyone looking. It wouldn’t be that big of a jump to assume he was like that in other aspects of his life.

“He’s not like that!” Hinata stepped forward, a tiny growl building in his voice. “He’s been super careful to make sure I have control over what I want!”

“And what  _ do _ you want?” Nishinoya gave Hinata a knowing look, and both younger boys turned red to their ears.

“Oh my god…” Tsukki stage whispered in horrified amusement. “You two haven’t even done it yet.”

Ennoshita elbowed Tsukki in the ribs and stepped closer to the other four. “He wants to be safe. We all want Hinata to be safe.”

Hinata immediately looked at his feet, curling in on himself. To explain this, they had to admit to everyone that Hinata was an omega, which they hadn’t done. It wasn’t polite to ask. Obviously, Ennoshita had figured it out, and made the call as captain to inform the team. Kageyama didn’t like it, but he liked being lectured even less.

“What are you talking about? Why is Hinata in danger?” Tanaka looked at Ennoshita, before casting a dubious eye on Kageyama who glared back in return.

“Hinata?” Ennoshita asked. He was going to make Hinata say it.

The mumbled confession was so low that nobody could hear it. Kageyama sighed, and stepped closer to Hinata to whisper at him, “You want me to?”

Hinata gave a tiny nod. They had spoken before, albeit briefly, about how Hinata was afraid that his omega status would change how people viewed him. There was a very real chance of that. Kageyama vowed to protect Hinata from as much of that as possible.

“He’s an omega,” Kageyama bluntly stated, loud enough for the room to hear. Hinata flinched, but Kageyama kept his eyes up and trailing over everyone in the room, watching the information sink in. “He’s proved himself capable on the court, so that shouldn’t change anything.”

“I agree.” Ennoshita nodded at Kageyama in a way to show he lended support to them on that matter.

“You’re what?!” Tanaka gaped at Hinata, in complete and utter befuddlement.

It was obvious that Hinata’s pride was taking a hit. His cheeks were blotchy, and he puffed out his chest. “What about it?”

“But… You never said anything!”

“What am I supposed to say?” Hinata fists trembled at his sides. “Am I just supposed to introduce myself like that to everyone I meet?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Ennoshita held up a hand to stop Tanaka from continuing. “What matters is that he is a reliable part of this team. What  _ really _ matters is that he’s not going to be sent off somewhere by the government.”

“Why not?” It was one of the freshman who asked that. He looked incredibly unhappy, and uncaring at the looks he got for speaking. “Male omegas are unnatural. Having him out here like this… What if his pheromones really are affecting ours? What if he’s making us sick?”

“That’s pseudo-science bullshit!” Narita shouted.

“You don’t know! They can’t know until they do a full study! This is dangerous. He shouldn’t even be in our school.”

“What the fuck did you just say, you little shit?” Tanaka immediately whipped around, ready to pummel the freshman, but Ennoshita stepped in front of him while still facing the freshman.

“We are not going to ban Hinata from practice, or from this school. There is nothing bad that will happen because he is on this team.”

“Then you’re all idiots! I’m not risking myself because you’re all a bunch of omega coddling idiots.” 

The freshman left, and didn’t come back. Everyone seemed to think that was fine since he wasn’t a starter. Hinata obviously took it hard. It was one thing to know that slurs against omegas existed, it was another hearing them thrown at you. Kageyama didn’t know how to fix it.

Hinata would become clingy and distant in drastic mood swings. Kageyama did his best to comfort when he could, and allow space when he couldn’t. He didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t equipped for this. He wasn’t ready to be in a relationship that demanded anything of him. He could barely take care of himself.

In the end, Yachi stepped in. She took Hinata to the side during one of their study sessions, and talked to him for a long time. They had more regular contact after that, and Kageyama was secretly grateful. He hated that it took someone else to fix what he was supposed to as Hinata’s alpha, but he was happy that he didn’t have to come up with a solution to a very complicated problem.

The only upside was that after the outburst by the freshman, everyone else on the team wasn’t nearly so aggressive about the relationship. They kept an eye on Kageyama to make sure his alpha urges didn’t hurt Hinata, something that grated on Hinata himself, but they no longer nay-sayed the bond marks.

The only real issue was that everyone became more protective of Hinata. It wasn’t really a pheromone thing, more of a subtle psychological thing. People were taught all their lives that omegas needed to be protected, and that’s exactly what they did, just as they did to Yachi. Hinata hated that as well.

“Why can’t they just treat me like they did before?” Hinata muttered one night as they were walking back, the wheels of his bike making soft sounds in the still night air.

“People think it’s rude, probably.”

“It’s rude to act like I’m suddenly weak.”

“Yeah… The world is shit.”

“Mm…” Hinata wasn’t nearly the pessimist that Kageyama was, but arguing against Kageyama’s negativity usually helped cheer Hinata up. It always worried Kageyama when Hinata stayed quiet during those times, such as now.

“Hey.” Kageyama pulled them to a stop and got them facing one another. He brushed his fingers through Hinata’s hair in a lame attempt to sooth the other. Still, Hinata’s eyes drooped closed, and he hummed a little at it. “They’ll forget about it with a little more time. Just act like you normally do, and eventually they’ll fall back into their usual habits.”

Hinata opened his eyes, and a tiny smile pulled at his lips as he looked up at Kageyama. “Thanks…”

“It’s just the truth.”

Hinata hummed as he studied Kageyama. “You’re a good alpha.”

That shouldn’t have hit Kageyama as hard as it did, but there he was, struggling for breath. A place deep inside of him preened at the comment, and wanted to wallow in further praise. He pushed it back down, confused and overwhelmed by the intensity of the feeling.

A chuckle broke through his thoughts, and he refocused on the now grinning Hinata in front of him. “You look so shocked.”

“I just… wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a terrible alpha, and a terrible person in general.”

Hinata gave Kageyama a  _ look _ for that comment. “You’re not. You’re a little grumpy, and you scowl when you don’t know what to do, but that doesn’t make you a bad person. _ I _ like you.”

That also shouldn’t have hit him as hard as it did. They had supposedly been dating for a while. They should have shared a “like” or two by now. But in reality, that was the first time anyone had told Kageyama that they liked him, even in such a casual setting. It meant a lot.

Which meant it was going to hurt more when he ended the magic behind all this.

“Hey…” Hinata gripped Kageyama’s face, but Kageyama was still lost in his own mind, head swirling with thoughts and emotions. He missed out completely on what Hinata was planning, otherwise he would have found a way to stop it.

Instead, he was pulled down into a kiss, initiated by Hinata, warm and full of Hinata’s muted but cloying scent. This wasn’t like the quick peck he’d left previously, the one he tried not to obsess over. This was something more. Something that felt like warm honey pouring into his chest.

It was hard to breathe, and it was hard to keep his hands still. They found their way into Hinata’s hair and down his back. Kageyama wanted more. He wanted to feel more, taste more, learn more. He wanted to drown in Hinata’s scent, and see nothing but smooth creamy skin, and hear only soft pants and moans.

Kageyama stumbled back, breathing hard. He couldn’t do this. They couldn’t do this. For  _ so _ many reasons.

Hinata blinked, looking a little dazed, his hands still reaching for Kageyama, who seized them with his own to still the movement. Reality slowly filtered back into Hinata’s eyes, and a slight dusting of pink colored his cheeks.

“Sorry…” Hinata mumbled.

“No, don’t be. I just… I want to always feel in control of myself, and I didn’t, and…”

An array of emotions flitted across Hinata’s face. He seemed intrigued at the concept of Kageyama losing control over a kiss. That probably wasn’t a good sign. A little smile tugged at Hinata’s mouth.

“You’re always thinking of me.”

“Yeah…” Kageyama couldn’t even deny that. Even before all this happened, Hinata was always on his mind as he thought of ways to improve their technique. Or even something so mundane of them studying with Yachi, and going over the information that they learned.

Hinata was always on Kageyama’s mind.

That was realization he wasn’t expecting, and he didn’t quite know what to do with the knowledge.

“Come on…” Hinata pulled them around to start walking again. The concerns troubling Hinata didn’t go away with the power of a single kiss, but for the time being, the kiss had pushed other thoughts from his mind. For that, at least, Kageyama was grateful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yachi’s reaction was in her own self interest. As far as she knows, Kageyama could hypnotize her into forgetting everything she saw. It was safer for her to watch from a distance, and intervene if necessary. Kageyama has the potential to control anyone he comes in contact with. That casts a lot of doubt.
> 
> Obviously, Kageyama has not used this ability on a lot of people, otherwise he could have found a way to fake his test scores. There are consequences to using Talents, but Yachi doesn’t know about them. She will have to determine if she trusts Kageyama on her own, based on previous and future interactions.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So according to fan pages, Hinata’s birthday is in June and Kageyama’s is in December, and they are both 16 entering their freshman year. Which 1) makes Hinata older and 2) means that at this point in the story, Hinata is 18 and Kageyama is 17 (going on 18). I hadn’t actually planned for them to be so advanced in age at this point in the story, but I’m totally okay with that considering future events. Soooo *thumbs up*.

The season was over for Karasuno by the time the medical examinations were finally announced for their school. Two months since the bond marks before they finally showed up. During that time, they had been mostly focused on the games ahead and it served as a distraction for the couple. Now, their thoughts were only on what was coming.

Kageyama verified for them over and over again that what they had done would keep them safe. By the same laws they were using to pull omegas from their homes, Kageyama used to keep Hinata in his. It would all turn out okay. Everything was going to be fine.

Everything was going to be fine.

It became a mantra, and Hinata became all the more clingy as the days passed. He wanted more touches, more reassurances, more thought obliterating kisses. The more it happened, the more natural it felt.

The more natural it felt, the more Kageyama forgot that it was all a lie.

When you are the only person who knows something isn’t the truth, it’s hard not to get sucked into your own act.

Kageyama placated himself by saying it was safer this way. If he believed it, he could lie better. They would do an interview with them, he knew that. As long as he looked and acted content with his relationship, and on edge about being separated from his omega, then it should be an open and shut case.

Still, it was hard not to enjoy it. Kageyama wasn’t raised in an overly affectionate household. His family was of the belief that self reliability was paramount. Having an omega around was a new experience. Hinata enjoyed touch, and it soothed him. In turn, it soothed Kageyama, something he’d never truly had available to him in the past.

It was addictive.

In no time at all, Kageyama caught himself being the one to initiate — seeking out touch, and wanting to be closer. Hinata was more than happy to encourage such things, always confirming that he was okay with Kageyama’s advances. It was comforting and terrifying all at the same time.

It was also confusing. What parts of their interaction was based on biology? What was based on the suggestion? What was based on just mutual respect and friendship? Was any of this development real?

And if it was… What then?

That was something they could deal with after the the examination and interview. Kageyama would release the suggestion, and then they would fight and argue and talk about it. Hopefully, whatever was happening between them would help temper what Kageyama had done.

Only time would tell.

The day of the examination arrived with a mix of relief and fear. Classes had been suspended for the day, and everyone was stuck in a classroom studying quietly as one by one students were being called out to the medical tent set up in front of the school.

When Kageyama was called, they performed a physical on him, took a blood sample, and rubbed a cotton pad vigorously over his scent gland before sealing it into a plastic bag. They took a spit and urine sample from him as well. After all that, they finally asked about his bond mark. He was prepared, and handed over a copy of his bonding contract.

Unlike other students, he wasn’t sent back to class. Instead he was sent to an office inside the school reserved for some of the government officials. They sat him down in order to prepare for the interview. Kageyama’s palms were sweating, and his gut churned. He had to get this right.

Unfortunately, there was no failsafe to this. If Kageyama didn’t lie well enough, he couldn’t just hypnotize them into submission. It was easy to get caught, especially if they pulled up his file. His family was registered, and the details of the family Talent was well known. Not registering a Talent was against the law.

Using a Talent against government officials was also against the law. They would have failsafes in place to make sure they could determine if Kageyama did or didn’t use his magic during the interview.

The laws against hiding a Talent, or using it on a government official, were severe. It was a life sentence in jail, and a guaranteed death sentence if the use of the Talent resulted in a death of anyone else. Jail sentences also came with a caveat that any means could be used to make sure a Talent wasn’t used around others.

For the Kageyama family, that meant blinding and gagging them when around others, and keeping them isolated otherwise. It was a terrifying thought.

So no, Kageyama couldn’t use his talent. He would have to lie, and he would have to lie effectively.

Kageyama sat in that chair for a long time before someone finally came into the room. He didn’t know if that was an intimidation tactic, or if they were just running behind. Either way, he was stressed out and agitated when three people finally did enter the room. He had a hard time not glaring at them.

One sat down, and opened up a laptop, ready to record the interview. Another sat in the corner as a silent observer. The last picked up a chair, and set it across from Kageyama so they could face one another. 

The man was clean cut and dressed in a business suit. He was also an alpha that was under no suppressants. His pheromones wafted from him in strong waves, carried on the wave of musky cologne, making Kageyama feel tense and defensive.

The man opened a file. “Kageyama Tobio, alpha, male, grade two, Karasuno high school, seventeen years old. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“My name is Kousuke Houji. I work with the health department, and I will be conducting your interview.”

Kageyama didn’t say anything, he simply nodded when the man looked up at him. Kousuke dropped his eyes back to the document in his lap.

“It says here you were recently bond mated to one Hinata Shoyo. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“When was the first time you met Hinata?”

“In middle school. Our teams had a match against each other.”

The man turned a page. “For volleyball, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That was when he convinced a group of his classmates to participate in a game they had no experience in.” 

How did he even know that? Why was he bringing it up? A cold feeling settled in Kageyama’s gut.

“Did you notice an increased desire to avoid conflict with him during the game?”

“What? No. I treat all opponents equally and seriously.” Kageyama wasn’t sure what line of questioning he thought they had planned, but this wasn’t it. Why were they talking about the game?

“Your teammates seemed to not be trying as hard, however, during that game. Is that correct?”

Kageyama could feel his teeth grinding together, and he tried to loosen his jaw. “They were lax because they didn’t feel like our opponent was worth the effort.”

“Or because they were also influenced by the omega’s pheromones in order to be protective instead of competitive. It seemed most of them were reluctant to try and block him.”

“It wasn’t reluctance. He’s just fast.”

Kousuke gave Kageyama a look as if he was being naive — as if any omega being stronger or faster than a beta was a ridiculous notion. “Your teammates pushed against you during that game. They didn’t listen to your commands. It must have been a strong omega to overcome the orders of an alpha when you were the only alpha on the team.”

“That had nothing to do with it!” Kageyama snapped.

“I see you’re overly protective of Hinata…” The man held eye contact until Kageyama looked away. At that point Kousuke started writing things down in his notebook.

“Your high school team has built their offensive power around an alpha and omega duo in an attack that is based entirely on your ability. Would it not be better to have a stronger beta make use of your talents to break through seasoned blockers?”

Kageyama took a few deep breaths, trying to calm to rage boiling up inside of him. “Nobody else can do what Hinata does in the air.”

The man gave him a pitying look. “Is that so? Perhaps if others were given the special training that Hinata has been given…” He glanced down at the paper. “Such as training with Coach Ukai senior, who was too sick to normally have trained anyone. It seems odd to me that he would risk his health over a single student.”

“He was already teaching lessons.” Kageyama’s fists shook with the force he was using to ball them up and keep them at his sides.

“Children, yes, who were being taught the basics, not given special attention to train as a starting player when they are so vastly unqualified.”

“Hinata is more than qualified!”

“I see that you believe that,” Kousuke said calmly.

Kageyama didn’t say anything. It was a trap to say something further. His anger was out of control.

The man sighed, and looked back down at his notes. “When did the two of you start a relationship?”

“Last year.”

“That’s fairly vague…”

“Hinata was unsure about starting a relationship with an alpha.”

“Because he didn’t want to be bound by the constraints of only one person doting on him instead of many?”

“No.” Kageyama wasn’t sure that telling the truth would be best at this point. He didn’t want this man to know about Hinata’s fear of being controlled by others. “Because he’s a romantic.” That wasn’t entirely a lie, as Kageyama was quickly discovering. “So we took things slow until he was ready to settle into a commitment.”

“Which happened directly after the new law was announced.”

“We didn’t want to be separated, so we decided not to wait until graduation.”

The man scribbled things down in his notebook for a while as the person in the corner typed at her keyboard. The soft noises felt ominous in the sudden quiet. Kageyama wondered if he had said the wrong thing. He just wasn’t sure what the right thing was to say at this point.

“Are you in love with him?”

“Yes.”

Kousuke looked up, and they locked eyes, neither willing to look away first. Kageyama stayed perfectly still, and kept his breathing even. He had to be careful. Had to play this right.

“Hmm…” The man finally looked away and wrote further in his notebook. “According to the statutes of the law, we cannot separate the two of you. However, if you choose to end the contract prior to marriage, Hinata Shoyo will need to come with us immediately to the nearest health facility. I must say, I am concerned about the affect he is having on his fellow students. For this reason, we will be checking in on him regularly to make sure there are no harmful side effects to those he is in direct contact with.”

“He’s not carrying some sort of disease!”

“We can make no assumptions until we have a better understanding of male omegas. Until that time, we will check in on you both. We also want to keep up to date on the status of your relationship, since the both of you are very young. A lot can happen in the next year and a half.”

Yes, a lot could. Like Kageyama ending the suggestion, which he obviously couldn’t do now that they were going to continuously question them. Kageyama felt sick.

“That will be all for now,” Kousuke said, and he gave a distracted nod as he continued to write things in the file. “Your omega is next door in his own interview. You may wait for him.”

His omega. Not even Hinata’s name, but referenced as if Hinata was property. Kageyama had never been front and center to how omegas were talked about, not really. Were these the kind of subtle remarks Hinata experienced on a regular basis?

Kageyama stood up, his body stiff from how tightly he had been holding himself. He left the office in a rage, not caring what kind of aggressive pheromones his body was likely throwing off. When he made it to the hallway, he looked to his right at the closed door, and the voices murmuring within. He wanted to storm in there, and drag Hinata away, but that would do them no favors.

Valiantly, he managed to keep himself still, as he stood there and stared at the closed door, blocking him from being able to protect Hinata from the bullshit questions they were asking. When the door finally opened, it was with a soft click and a slow sliding shuffle. Kageyama forgot to breathe.

Hinata trudged out, head down, shoulders bowed, hands trembling. Never, in all the time they had known each other, had Kageyama seen him like that. A disapproving woman behind Hinata shooed him the rest of the way out, turning down her nose at the top of his head.

The growl was filling the hallway before Kageyama even knew he was the cause of it. “What did you say to him?!”

The woman’s head snapped up, and she glared at Kageyama for his disrespectful tone and his loud, demanding voice. Kageyama could care less. He immediately pulled Hinata behind him, as if his body could shield the smaller man from the verbal assault they were most obviously inflicting.

“Omegas are quite weak willed,” the woman stated in a haughty tone. “He simply couldn’t handle being treated as an adult during his interview, and is playing it up in order to get sympathy. I have no tolerance for it. Might I give you a piece of advice, young man? Don’t coddle him.”

Even if Kageyama had wanted to say something, he couldn’t. Not a single word managed to squeeze past the continuous growl ripping out of his tight throat. He whirled around and wrapped an arm around Hinata’s shoulders, before moving them away as quickly as he could.

Hinata’s feet dragged, the opposite of his usual competitiveness. It worried Kageyama like nothing else could. He all but bodily dragged Hinata up the stairs to the landing before the rooftop. The door was locked, barring them access, but at least they had privacy on the stairwell with everyone else locked in the classrooms.

Kageyama set Hinata down on the floor, and then crouched in front of him, fingers anxiously hovering over Hinata’s face and shoulders. “Hey…”

Hinata just shook his head and refused to look up, a shiver trembled through his frame.

“What did they tell you? Whatever it was, they’re wrong.”

“What if they’re not?” The whisper was so soft, Kageyama barely heard it.

“Of course they are! They’re just talking shit. Don’t listen to anything they say.”

“But…”

“Not buts.”

Hinata lifted his head up then, eyes intense and red rimmed, as if he’d been crying earlier. “You wouldn’t have marked me if I wasn’t an omega!” His voice was thick and strained. “Did I manipulate you into this just because I was scared? What if this isn’t what you want? If you didn’t have the need to protect me, you wouldn’t be stuck with me!”

It hurt. It hurt because the person being manipulated and tricked was Hinata. Yet there he was, afraid that he was ruining Kageyama’s life when it was quite the opposite. With the constant threat to them, they were stuck with each other for the foreseeable future, and Hinata’s choice in the matter was warped by Kageyama’s magic.

The only thing that stopped Kageyama from reversing the suggestion right then and there, and damning the consequences, was because he knew that this was the lesser of two evils. Even if Hinata was ready to sacrifice himself to the government, his family wasn’t. Kageyama had seen that first hand, and could still clearly remember the fear in Hinata’s mother’s eyes.

“You remember the first time we played against each other?” Kageyama asked.

Hinata nodded, dejected. “You hated me.”

“I respected you.”

Hinata looked away, obviously disbelieving. Kageyama took hold of the smaller man’s face, and turned it back to force eye contact.

“I could feel the talent coming off of you. It made me competitive, and it pissed me off that everyone around you couldn’t see it because they were too focused on your gender.”

“You told me I wasted my time in middle school!”

“Because I didn’t know. I thought you had just avoided learning what you should, and let people walk over you, and push you out of a team because you were an omega. I didn’t know how hard you had worked just to practice.”

“Did I make them help me?” Hinata’s voice was so small and unsure, as if his entire reality had been flipped on its head.

“Yeah. You did. But not because of some bullshit fake biology. You made them help you because they saw how much you wanted it, and how much you loved it. You inspire other people to work as hard as you do.”

“Why are you being so nice?” Hinata whispered, a tear finally making its way out, and rolling down his cheek.

“Because I’m your partner, and your friend, and your boyfriend.”

“And my alpha.”

“Fuck that. Being your alpha made me growl. Being your partner made me wanna punch that bitch in the face. Being your friend is making me want to tell you that you’re being a dumbass.”

A little smile wavered on Hinata’s face. He leaned his head into one of Kageyama’s hands. “And being my boyfriend?”

“That makes me want to kiss you.”

It was the truth, Kageyama realized, not just a line. He  _ did _ want to kiss Hinata. He wanted to hold the man in his arms, and drown him in affection. He wanted to kiss until Hinata forgot his own name — until their worlds narrowed down to just them.

That was a problem. Kageyama couldn’t want Hinata like that. Couldn’t act on that impulse. It was wrong…

“Please.” Hinata eyes were bright and desperate, his voice wavering. The face he was making… No healthy teenage boy could resist that face…

Before Kageyama could stop himself, they were kissing, lips moving over each other awkwardly from their inexperience. Still, they were not known for giving up so easily. They kept at it, trying again and again, competing against each other. Hinata’s spark picked back up, making him glow, making him demanding and insistent.

Their hands moved against each other, needy, seeking out more comfort and intimacy. Kageyama’s insides burned with the need to feel skin on skin, to feel the warm life that infused Hinata. Kageyama’s hands yanked at the back of Hinata’s shirt, pulling up the uniform and undershirt in order to splay his palm across hot, smooth skin.

Hinata sucked in air, arching forward and pressing their chests against each other. It was overwhelming, drowning in each other like that. The little voice of reason in Kageyama’s head was so far away that it couldn’t be heard over the soft sounds Hinata was making.

Later… Later Kageyama would worry. He’d think about how the plan was to just keep Hinata safe, from himself and others. The plan wasn’t to fall for Hinata. The plan wasn’t to realize that maybe Kageyama had fallen for Hinata a long time ago. And then Kageyama would fret and worry about the implications of that, and how it would inevitably fall apart in the future at such a time that it would hurt him most.

But for now, with the feeling of Hinata’s tongue flicking bashfully over his lips, Kageyama let himself believe that he was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you don’t technically smell pheromones. Humans react to only a few kinds of pheromones, but we typically can ignore them. Animals are more sensitive to a wider range, insects even more. I know a lot of a/b/o describes the smell of pheromones, but that always bugged me. Even in an a/b/o world where people were as responsive and aware of pheromones as they are, they still wouldn’t have a smell. So I specifically wanted to state that any smells came from whatever else. A person’s natural scent, soap, perfume, cologne, whatever.
> 
> Also, when you smell a pheromone, you react to it. The only way you know which kind of pheromone you are smelling is by your body’s immediate reaction to it. That would be natural in an a/b/o world, since they would be learning why their bodies reacted in certain ways from birth. So I’ll be writing with that in mind throughout the chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is gonna update at the speed of light, guys. XD

The air was getting colder, and the team was focused on preparing for the winter competition. It had been five months since Kageyama had bonded to Hinata. The most baffling thing about that time frame, was that Hinata was still invested in their relationship.

It made no sense. Not a single bit.

Kageyama hadn’t reinforced the suggestion. Despite his best efforts, he hadn’t changed his personality either. He worked hard at trying to curb his anger, harsh words, and sullen face. He failed regularly. Yet, Hinata stayed just as unaffected as he always had.

Shouldn’t that be different? Now that they were dating, shouldn’t Hinata expect more effort and niceties out of Kageyama?

Day after day, Kageyama failed the goals he set for himself, slipping back into his regular habits. And day after day, Hinata stayed, smiling and laughing and holding Kageyama’s hand. More than that, Hinata seemed all too happy to indulge in their newfound intimacy.

That is to say: they made out. A lot.

Guilt rushed through Kageyama with every incident, but hormones overpowered it every time. The more it happened, the less it bothered him. Often, he would beat himself up over becoming so complacent, but what else was there to do? They were stuck with each other, and Hinata was getting even better at reading Kageyama’s moods.

He was fretting over exactly that at one of their regular study sessions with Yachi. Hinata had become comfortable around Yachi, and didn’t hold back in his affections towards Kageyama. Often, Hinata would end up propped up against Kageyama as they worked. At a loss of what else to do, Kageyama wouldn’t cling in return, but he also didn’t push the man away. They were in a stalemate that Hinata hadn’t a clue was happening.

At some point during the study session, Hinata announced his need for the bathroom, and left the room. Yachi fiddled with her pen, casting not too subtle glances at Kageyama. Unable to take it anymore, Kageyama blurted out what had been driving him insane for months.

“I like him, but he’s gonna hate me because this is all fake, but I keep falling for him, and I just wanna die.” Kageyama dropped his head onto the table with a loud thunk.

Yachi jumped at the sudden statement, and again at the sound of forehead meeting wood. She took a deep breath, and sighed as she lightly doodled something at the top of her paper. After some thought, she asked quietly, “Have you hypnotized him again?”

“No.”

“Then why isn’t it real?”

Every last inch of Kageyama tensed. “What do you mean? Without my suggestion, he’d hate me. He’d be afraid of me.”

“Before, maybe. You’ve proved that you aren’t going to be like that, though. All of your relationship development started after the bonding.”

“Which means it’s all influenced.”

“For now…” Yachi let out a breath, and steeled her shoulders. “If you stopped the magic, you could talk about it, and everything would work out.”

So that was her play. It wasn’t that Kageyama didn’t understand where she was coming from. He didn’t like Hinata being influenced any more than she did. It would be great if things could work out as well as she believed that they would.

But that was a fantasy…

“Hinata was ready to just hand himself over to the government without saying a word.” Kageyama lifted his head up to stare her down, but she refused to make eye contact. “You really think he’ll play along long enough to talk about it? Assuming he even forgives me…”

“How long are you going to keep this up?”

“As long as it takes.”

“And is it going to get any easier?”

No. No, it wasn’t. Kageyama glared at his notebook and gritted his teeth. What other choice did he have? He wasn’t going to let that idiot throw his life away over a fear that had yet to reassert itself.

Of course, the fact that Hinata’s paranoia of being controlled by an alpha hadn’t resurfaced lent credence to Yachi’s statement. However, it was still a risk. It wasn’t as easy as removing the suggestion long enough to gauge Hinata’s reaction, and putting it back if it didn’t work out. The mind didn’t work like that.

If Hinata could really overcome what Kageyama had done, then they could discuss it later. When they were safe.

But at what point were they going to be safe?

Hinata was noisy as he came back down the hall, and it effectively stopped the conversation. Kageyama had a hard time focusing after that, his thoughts chasing themselves in circles in his head. There were too many questions, and no way to find the answers.

As the couple headed back after their study session, Hinata pulled Kageyama over to a park, and immediately headed towards the swings. Kageyama followed at a more sedate pace. A few kids were running around despite the chill in the air, but he paid them little attention as he sat on the swing beside Hinata.

The smaller man was already trying to gain height, pushing off the ground as hard as he could. The wind ruffled his hair, and the sunlight made it a glowing beacon on their end of the playground.

“Have you ever wanted a Talent?” Hinata abruptly asked.

Kageyama tensed and his stomach dropped to his shoes. “What?”

“Oh, come on! Everybody’s thought about it. What Talent did you want as a kid?”

The kids on the other side of the playground squealed, and exchanged sound effects. Kageyama looked over at them, and noticed they were pretending to have magical abilities. That was likely where the comment had come from. Hinata wasn’t actually suspicious.

The relief hit Kageyama hard, and he sagged against the chains of the swing. He was so lucky that Hinata was such an oblivious idiot most days.

“I wanted to be invisible.” Kageyama wasn’t sure why he admitted the truth of it so easily. As a kid, he daydreamed that he would have a burst of Talent and learn something that was all his own.

Bursts were rare, but they happened. They developed in a person who desperately needed an ability. After that, they could be taught to future generations. Kageyama had wanted the ability to disappear from the expectations of the world around him as a child. It was such a strong feeling, but such a Talent had never developed.

It wasn’t surprising that it hadn’t. Bursts only happened to people in life threatening situations. It would always make the news when someone had a burst of Talent in order to save their lives during a fire or a hiking accident or a mother protecting her children during an earthquake. A kid wanting to hide from the world just didn’t count.

Hinata chuckled. “You wanted to be sneaky. That’s such a waste!” Hinata swung his legs, gaining more height. He looked so happy every time he reached the top of the swing and his hair hung in the air for a split second before falling again. “I had much better ideas!”

Kageyama rolled his eyes. “Omegas can’t have Talents.”

“That’s what they _say_ ,” Hinata argued, like Kageyama was the idiot among them. “But this guy was being interviewed on TV, and _he_ said that omegas in Talent families are just never taught stuff like the alphas are.”

“That’s because it doesn’t work.” Kageyama would know. He _came_ from a Talent family. Though he wasn’t about to admit that just yet.

“Well, new stuff happens everyday!” Hinata declared, and gave himself an extra boost to swing higher. “You never know!”

“Sure…” Kageyama watched Hinata swing back and forth, appreciating the irrepressible grin on his face. “So what Talent would you pick?”

Hinata laughed to himself. When he swung up into the air, he let go of the chains, and launched into the air. For a second, he hovered in place, eyes closed, arms outstretched, clothes fluttering around him. As far as Kageyama was concerned, it was a breathtaking sight.

Gravity reasserted itself, and Hinata dropped, but he was prepared. He landed as easily as he always did after jumping so high for a spike, dropping to a crouch to kill the momentum. He stood back up, and whirled around with a wide grin that nearly crinkled his eyes closed.

“I’d want a Talent for volleyball!”

Kageyama let out a snort of a laugh before standing up, and walking over. He playfully smacked at Hinata’s glowing orange puff of hair. “That’s a short sighted Talent.”

“Not if I’m always playing! Wouldn’t that be great? The ability to always stay on the court?”

“Yeah… It would…” Kageyama couldn’t even deny that.

Hinata slid his hands inside of Kageyama’s jacket. The warmth of Hinata burned through Kageyama’s torso, and he was again reminded of how hard he had fallen. It scared him. Kageyama brushed his fingers through that bright mess of hair.

“What if someone with a Talent made you forget about me? What happens when you’re scared of me being an alpha again?”

Hinata stuck his nose in the air. “I’m not afraid of alphas.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not! I just hate that alphas think they can _own_ other people.”

“I might be overprotective sometimes, and I might argue with you… But I’ll never do that to you.”

“I know.” It was such a trusting statement. Kageyama could no longer tell how much of that was Hinata and how much of it was the suggestion.

Kageyama finally looked away from Hinata’s hair, and made eye contact. The least he could do was solidify that belief with the truth. “I mean it. No matter what.”

“I know!” Hinata smiled, and pushed up onto his toes in order to press their lips together.

Yet again, Kageyama allowed himself to be lost in the feel of that. Hinata’s pure trust, his happiness, his warmth, his subtle comfort in response to Kageyama’s unspoken stress… It was everything Kageyama hadn’t realized he craved in his life. It went far beyond just an omega responding to his needs, but Kageyama was aware that it was a factor.

Hinata and the omega side of him were hand in hand, and unique to himself. Kageyama would never find someone that fit him quite like Hinata did, and he didn’t want to search in an attempt to prove himself wrong. He wanted _Hinata_. He was _happy_ with Hinata.

 _Stay with me,_ Kageyama’s lips said as they moved across Hinata’s.

But he didn’t allow the words to be heard.

 

~*~

 

“SHIIIRATORIZAWA!”

The chant echoed around the gymnasium, their cheering squad in the stands already at full blast. The court was a mass of noise as both teams warmed up. Karasuno had lost to Shiratorizawa during the summer, but they planned to rectify that for the winter games.

Shiratorizawa was a school that believed that strong players equaled a strong team. Each of their starting players was an alpha. It was unprecedented that a team should be filled with alphas, but their coach was nothing if not stubborn. He wanted alphas on his team, so he found them.

There had been a large uproar the first year it had happened, saying that alpha pheromones were throwing off the opponents. There was nothing in the rulebook against it, but Shiratorizawa’s coach nonetheless provided documentation that all of his players were on suppressants. Thus, the advantage was all in the other team’s heads.

It had definitely been intimidating that first year Karasuno had gone up against Shiratorizawa. Now, they weren’t nearly so affected. They knew their strengths, and they knew that Shiratorizawa wasn’t some unbeatable force. Karasuno came ready to win.

However, before they could even get started, a league official ran onto the court, and called a meeting with Karasuno’s team. He leveled an unhappy stare on all of the team members before casting judging eyes on Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai.

“What is this about?” Takeda tried his best to sound as polite as possible.

“We received a complaint that you are using an omega on your team. First, that is unsportsmanlike conduct to try and manipulate a team of alphas with omega pheromones. Second, this is the male league, and the omega should only be participating in the female league, if at all. We need to verify that all of your players meet the standards of play.”

After a stunned silence, there was an uproar of comments being thrown. Everyone had an opinion about the whole affair. The fact that Coach Washijo was not held up to those standards when he formed his alpha team, and that he had provided papers on his own prior to there being a case held against him, was unequitable. He had also been informed of it long before it could escalate.

Not to mention, this had never before happened on the day of a match, just minutes before a match was about to start. Tanaka was loud in his opinion that this was a setup, and unfair treatment, focused on making them lose a player, or to be disqualified. The official and Takeda tried to get everyone under control, as Coach Ukai named off every rule in the book he could remember to turn the situation around.

Meanwhile, Hinata was staring at his feet in mute shock. It looked like he was barely breathing. Kageyama was much the same, except it was anger that coursed through his veins, and made every inch of him tremble in outrage.

Kageyama loved sports because politics didn’t affect them.

Politics didn’t affect the straight forward rules of volleyball.

Except… that had changed.

“All of our players are male, and they are registered with the league.” Takeda was speaking directly to the official, trying to get the facts straight.

The official sucked in a harsh breath. “If you have a male omega on your team, then you are putting the health and safety of your students at risk! What kind of advisor does that make you?”

Tanaka launched himself at the official, but Ennoshita caught the senior just in time. It didn’t help things. The official started going on about how it was unnatural omega pheromones that were sending the team members into such a rage. Kageyama’s vision was going red, and his ears rang. He was probably growling, but he couldn’t hear it over the chaos around him and his own blood rushing through his ears.

A cold hand touched his.

Hinata was still fixated on his shoes, but a trembling hand was seeking comfort. Or offering comfort. Or both. Kageyama took a deep breath, and tried to pull himself back under control. Losing his temper now wouldn’t help anything. In fact, it would only make it that much worse.

“What’s going on?” A deep voice cracked over the heads of the others and brought about silence. It was the voice of an alpha who knew just what his place was on the food chain. Everyone looked over to see none other than Ushijima Wakatoshi walking towards them.

“This is a matter between Karasuno—” the official tried, but was cut off by Coach Washijo.

“They are our opponents. I do believe it also involves us.” He stood just behind Ushijima’s shoulder, showing that even as a coach and elder, he deferred his beta status to Ushijima’s overpowering alpha.

“We received a report—”

“Was it filed?” Coach Washijo’s eyes flashed. “Are you holding an unofficial investigation without a properly filed case?”

“I was informed by—”

“Then your superiors must have also informed you of the case number.”

Silence.

A hard smile spread across Coach Washijo’s face. “Then I suggest you stop talking before you get yourself fired.”

Unable to say anything more to the formidable coach of Shiratorizawa, the official turned back to Coach Ukai. “If it is found that there is an omega on your team, you will be pulled from competition with the potential to be suspended for a year.”

“I believe that rule only applies to males in female professional sports,” Coach Washijo once more interrupted. “So far, only medical documentation of suppressants filed with the school is needed to compete in school related sports.”

The official whipped back around. “This is for the health of the students!”

“There has been no government issued statement about male omegas and their effects on others.” This time is was Ushijima who spoke, using the full base boom of his alphan voice. “We have played this team previously with no issues to our physical or mental capabilities, last season and this season. Extended exposure to omegas would have affected their team first, and so far, if it has done anything, it has made them stronger.”

“I fully agree,” Coach Washijo said.

Kageyama and Hinata both looked up and made eye contact with Ushijima. He gave them a slight nod. They were rivals, but they were not enemies.

The official wasn’t quite ready to let it go. “We care about the health and safety of all that enter this gym—”

“Enough of this!” Coach Washijo’s wrinkled face pinched together like he was sucking on something sour and disgusting. “If you push Karasuno to forfeit, then we will as well. Make no mistake, I will be very loud about your part to play in both teams’ _forced_ dismissal.”

The official gaped in shock. He spluttered in an attempt to say something more, but couldn’t form the words to do so. Being blamed for Shiratorizawa’s inability to compete would be a nightmare of press and angry supporters.

“If you bench any of their starting players,” Ushijima added, looking at Hinata. “I will leave the court, and my teammates will follow.”

The official’s face fell cold and dark. He turned to Coach Ukai. “You will be receiving an official notice from the league soon. Please respond in a timely manner.” Having nothing more he could say, he left the court.

Coach Washijo sniffed indignantly, “They wanted to make a scene for some political agenda. Didn’t exactly work out in their favor.” He chuckled to himself.

“Thank you very much!” Takeda bowed, straight backed, and at a ninety degree angle.

Washijo just laughed and waved it off. “Politicians need to keep their noses out of our world, eh? I’m not going to let them take away a fair fight. It’s unfair to the players, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I would,” Ukai responded, and they exchanged challenging looks.

“Hinata Shoyo.” Ushijima was just as stone faced as ever when he addressed the small man in front of him. “Prove them wrong.”

The spark that usually lived in Hinata’s eyes flashed back to life, dispelling the previous empty shock. “I won’t hold back.”

Ushijima nodded in satisfaction, and walked away, his coach trailing behind him. Hinata took a breath so deep that he shook with it, as if he were a bird ruffling its feathers. Without another word, he walked back over to finish his warm-up, Kageyama sedately following after. Fire burned in their teammates.

There was much more than Nationals riding on that game.

They poured everything they had into it until they felt ready to sweat blood.

They won.

Afterwards, in a dark corner away from everyone’s eyes, Hinata sobbed into Kageyama’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What year was Ushiwaka in originally? No idea. XD He might have been a third year. If that was the case………. I dunno. He failed a grade. lol Plot holes! \o/ 
> 
> Clarification on Talent bursts: There are three factors that need to be fulfilled in order to get a burst of Talent. 1) The Talent has to be intrinsic to the person so that it can be used on instinct alone and without any formal training in the use of the Talent (formal training happens when the Talent is passed down in a family). 2) The mind has to believe that the Talent is necessary to the person’s survival (be that necessary to mind, body, or soul). This is why bursts usually happen in life threatening situations. 3) The Talent must be relevant to the situation in which it is needed for the survival of the person.
> 
> So in example, if a person is stuck in a tsunami and the room they are in floods and they can’t get out, they could potentially have a burst of Talent that manipulates the water in their direct vicinity, creating a bubble around them so they can breathe. That means the person had a lifelong connection to water, it was necessary for their survival, and it was relevant to the situation. A person with a connection to, say, fire, wouldn’t have had the burst of Talent in the same situation, because it wouldn’t have been relevant and thus pointless in saving the person’s life.
> 
> This is why Kageyama says that his desire to be invisible wouldn’t have accomplished anything. Being invisible was a wish, not an intrinsic part of him. It wouldn’t have been strong enough to cause a burst. He had also learned how to control his family Talent through being taught methodically, so there was doubt that he could do so instinctively in the future. And of course, being invisible would not have been necessary to his survival or relevant to his situation as a child. 
> 
> I have thought waaaay too much about the rules of these Talents considering how little they are used in this story. @.@
> 
> Some might argue that Shiratorizawa's team was not composed of all alphas, but I would like to argue that that is stereotyping (and I like my headcanon fite me). ;-p


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maaan, you guys in the Haikyuu fandom are just so damn nice. <3 Thank you for all your lovely comments! ^.^

Karasuno did not win Nationals that year, but they made it as far as they could. The issue with omegas being in play was stuck in debate, and they hadn’t heard much else from it. Some wanted the rule on the books, but others argued that it would be more harmful to females than males. After all, the males would soon no longer be an issue.

Instead, they forced through a new rule stating that every player must submit paperwork from a doctor directly to the league to verify they were on suppressants. Any player not on suppressants would be removed from competition. At first, that seemed fine.

In Hinata’s senior year, it was no longer fine.

“They’re saying that because the biology of male omegas is so unknown, it’s not safe for them to be on suppressants.” Yachi was summarizing the new law to Hinata and Kageyama in the equipment room.

Kageyama paced in agitation while Hinata sat on the floor, knees pulled up to his chest, and arms wrapped tight to keep him in a ball. Yachi scrolled through her phone as she read the article, bringing up the points that were most important.

“What the hell are omegas supposed to do, then?” Kageyama growled.

“They are saying that if an omega is unable to function because of his pheromones, or if he is affecting others around him despite scent blockers, then the omega should be removed from public environments. That it’s safer for the omega to stay at home.”

“How can they even say that? What about getting an education? Does that not matter anymore?” Kageyama realized his voice was too loud, but he couldn’t help it. He kicked the closest thing to him, and sent something flying out of the room and into the gym.

“According to most politicians, anything beyond basic education is unnecessary for omegas because they can’t join the workforce. They’re saying it’s a waste of funds…” Yachi’s shoulders slumped. “For all sexes…”

“ _FUCK_!” Kageyama exploded, causing Yachi to flinch. He took a deep breath to calm himself. “I’m sorry…”

“I-it’s okay…” Yachi nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. “I understand. I’m angry, too.”

“Why are they doing this?” Hinata whispered as he pressed his face into his knees. “It’s not like I _want_ to be a freak. I just want to live a normal life.”

“Oh! Hinata, no!” Yachi clasped her hands in front of her chest, eyes filling up with tears. “You’re not a freak! You’re amazing! You’re _more_ than amazing!”

“Why wasn’t I born a beta?” Hinata sniffed.

“Don’t think like that,” Yachi fretted. “You’re perfect just like you are.”

Kageyama should have been doing something — anything — to comfort his partner, his friend, his boyfriend, his omega… But he had no idea what to do or say. He stood there, helpless, with no recourse as to how he could fix this. A shitty partner, a shitty friend, a shitty boyfriend, a shitty alpha…

Why did he think he could somehow singlehandedly save Hinata? Just because he was an alpha? Because he thought he was smart enough to pull one over on the government?

He had manipulated Hinata, and for what? For Hinata to end up in exactly the situation he had feared — rejected by others, hidden away from his own life, and forced to stop doing all the things he loved.

“I should have just let them take me,” Hinata mumbled.

“ _No_!” The word was heavy with the force of Kageyama’s alpha instincts. He could practically feel his scent glands forcing out his command despite the muffling of his suppressants.

He turned around to find Hinata’s tear-filled eyes scowling at him. It was a command, and a challenge to their dynamic, and Hinata was tense with his hatred of it. Hinata didn’t want to be controlled. It was the thing he hated and feared the most, despite whatever the situation may be.

“Fine,” Kageyama growled. He stormed over the the equipment room door and slid it completely open with a bang. “Do what you want! That’s my command. That’s the order I’m giving you as your alpha. _Do what you want_.”

Kageyama stomped to the other side of the small room, giving Hinata complete access to the exit before he continued. “But the entire time you’re walking there, I’m going to be telling you to stop. I’ll be telling you that you’re an idiot. I’ll be telling you to think of your family, your friends, and your life. I’ll follow you the whole damn way, screaming at you to stop.”

Yachi held her breath, wide eyes flicking between the two in extreme apprehension.

“I’ll pull you back,” Kageyama continued. “I’ll try and wrestle you to the ground the closer you get. I’ll keep going even when you break my nose, and tell me that you hate me.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “But I won’t hurt you, and I won’t control you. _But_ I’m not gonna just walk away.”

There was a long tense silence between them. A tear dropped down Hinata’s cheek as he scowled harder at Kageyama. “I don’t hate you. You’re an idiot.” Hinata’s voice was angry, but thick with tears.

“Me? I’m not the one thinking about doing stupid shit before I’ve taken the time to think of a solution, _dumbass_!”

“What solution?” Hinata snapped.

“This one,” Yachi suddenly announced, loud enough to startle the other two. She whirled around to her bag that was set against a wall, and rummaged around. When she found what she was looking for, she walked over to Hinata, and held out a bottle to him. It rattled with the sound of pills inside.

Hinata’s eyes went wide. “Yachi, I can’t!”

Yachi shook her head resolutely. “It’s the same medication. I checked. I’m almost due for a refill. If I come off the meds abruptly, they’ll have to send me to the doctor. I’ll tell him I was having to up my dose suddenly. They’ll just double it. Then I can share the pills with you.”

“That’s illegal,” Kageyama pointed out. “You said so yourself. They’re going after anyone they can prove is giving undocumented medication to male omegas.”

“I’m not just going to stand by and watch all this happen around me.” Yachi grabbed Hinata’s hand and forced the bottle into it. “Take them and wear scent blockers everyday. Just say that the scent blockers are enough for you. Only the teachers and the team know you’re an omega. Nobody else has to find out.”

“Except I still can’t play this season…” Hinata gripped the bottle in his hand and stared through it, thinking about all the complications his life suddenly had.

“Then I guess you’re becoming an assistant coach,” Kageyama declared.

Hinata scoffed and looked away from the both of them. It was a consolation prize, and little else. Hinata wanted to play, and Kageyama understood that like nobody else. But…

“I won’t play in competition.”

That caused Hinata’s head to whip around faster that Kageyama had ever seen it. “Don’t be stupid!”

“ _Hinata_. I love volleyball as much as you do. I want to stay on the court as much as you do. But there were a lot of reasons I loved this game, and they’re out there ruining all of it. I love playing, and I love competition, but there are more important things…”

“I _know_ that!” Hinata choked back a sob. “But it’s not fair! And it’s not fair for you to stop just because of me!”

“It’s not _just_ because of you,” Kageyama’s huffed in frustration. “It’s because this is a stupid rule and it’s a stupid law and everything about this is so fucking stupid. Just going along with it and keeping our heads down isn’t going to accomplish anything.”

Kageyama took a deep breath and made sure he was making eye contact. “And even if it was _just_ you… You’re more important than this.” He waved his arms to indicate the equipment and the gym beyond the door. Letting his arms fall lips to his sides, he softly finished, “I’m always going to choose you first.”

It was embarrassing and his cheeks flamed over the statement. However, it was important that it be said. He wanted both Hinata and Yachi to hear it. It was truth, and Kageyama could admit that out loud — to himself and others. There was no point fighting against himself anymore.

He was in love with Hinata. Kageyama would do whatever it took to not just protect Hinata, but to keep the man happy, regardless of the consequences in the future. And if, in the end, Hinata hated Kageyama for what he had done… Then he would take that punishment in full — he would allow it to hurt him as deep as possible.

There was so little he could give… but he could give that.

Hinata sucked in a hitched breath and sobbed, cursing Kageyama as an idiot non-stop. Yachi dropped to her knees and wrapped soothing arms around Hinata, rocking him gently and cooing calming words. Kageyama stood by and watched. He wouldn’t impose himself if it wasn’t asked for. He would wait until Hinata was ready to come to him.

 

~*~

 

It took about a week before Yachi ended up having to miss school. She was gone for a few days. During that time, Hinata was consumed with guilt, knowing it was his fault that she was missing classes. He made a point to collect notes from her classmates, and deliver them to her house.

Kageyama wanted to talk to Hinata about it, and comfort him, but Hinata kept his distance. Hinata wasn’t angry, but it was obvious he needed space, so Kageyama stayed away. It wasn’t like there was much he could do to change the current events. Everything was moving along, completely outside of his control or influence.

Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai talked with Hinata for a long time. By the end of it, Hinata seemed less depressed about being relegated to practice games only. Coach Ukai argued with Kageyama about dropping out as well, but Takeda understood. It was agreed that it would be a good chance to push the next generation to work hard, and compete well once the seniors graduated.

They formed a practice team with Hinata and Kageyama as the lead. It pushed the starters hard, and they progressed steadily. They would do well in competition. For an added challenge, Tsuki and Yamaguchi would join Hinata’s side. It lead to some well trained alternates.

When Yachi returned to school, she met up with Hinata on a daily basis, and split her pill with him. It worked well, and even after a month, they didn’t seem to have any ill effects. Kageyama was relieved, but kept his thoughts to himself.

Yachi fretted over their silence, and spoke with Hinata regularly. Kageyama wasn’t sure if she was trying to talk him into leaving Kageyama, or staying with him. Kageyama wasn’t sure which would be best, if he were honest with himself.

One day he was walking to the vending machine to get a drink between classes. He saw Hinata around the corner, sitting in the grass, his back leaned up against the brick wall of the school. He was staring off into space, looking neither happy nor sad. Kageyama ducked behind the wall, and debated with himself whether he should approach or continue keeping a distance. He just wasn’t sure anymore what Hinata wanted from Kageyama, or what would be best.

While he was fretting about it, he heard footsteps approaching Hinata. Kageyama didn’t have to wonder long before discovering who it was.

“Did he hurt you?” Tsukishima asked.

“No.” Hinata was insistent, and more than a little angry. “Of course not.”

“You’re not avoiding him for no reason.”

“He didn’t hurt me…”

“Did he finally show his true colors as an alpha, then?” Tsuki’s voice was full of derision.

Hinata let out a long breath. “He’s not like that… I just… The new league rule after what happened at the game last year… It was too much. I didn’t want to do _anything_ anymore, and I knew he wouldn’t let me crawl in a hole, but… I know he wouldn’t say stuff just to order me around, but…”

“That’s all you were gonna hear. Orders. Because he’s an alpha.”

“Does that make me a bad person?” Hinata sounded miserable.

“It makes you a smart person,” Tsuki said, matter of fact. “Alphas are taught from birth to give orders, even if they don’t realize what they’re doing.”

“Maybe…”

“Why are you with him? You have other options, whether you wanna admit that or not.”

Kageyama tensed. He wanted to know the answer to that question, too.

“Why do you care?” Hinata shot back.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you hate me.”

“I don’t hate anybody. Too much effort.”

“You’re so weird…” Hinata mumbled.

“Are you doing this just because it’s easier?”

That hurt. That hurt far more than Kageyama had expected it to. He wanted to run. He didn’t want to hear Hinata agree to that when Kageyama had finally come to terms with how much he felt for the other man. But he also couldn’t move, as the thought of not knowing was so much worse than the pain of hearing it.

There was a long tense pause, and it felt like Kageyama’s throat was tightening more and more as it stretched. Finally, Hinata softly answered. “Maybe at first that was part of it… but it’s not anymore.”

“Do you actually like him, or do you just like that your body feels safe around him because of some chemical reaction?”

Something ice cold landed in Kageyama’s stomach. Why was Tsukishima, of all people, speaking all of Kageyama’s greatest fears aloud? It was hell.

“Kageyama is an alpha. That’s not gonna change. I ask every day which parts are the alpha, and which are just him, but I think it’s wrong to do that. It’s like I think he’d two different people, and he’s not.”

“Do you trust him?”

Kageyama stopped breathing.

“I do.”

It hurt. It hurt to hear how strongly Hinata felt about that. How much he obviously trusted Kageyama when he most certainly didn’t deserve it. It left his head a mess. Wasn’t trust what he wanted out of Hinata? Hadn’t he thought that was the only way out of the mess he had caused? Yet hearing that… Kageyama didn’t deserve to be trusted, and he didn’t deserve to be forgiven.

There was a shuffle of movement that Kageyama couldn’t see. Hinata asked, “What is it?”

“It’s illegal. Don’t let anyone know you have it. If someone sees it, say that it’s pepper spray.”

Hinata sucked in a sharp breath. “What does it do?”

“It’s a high concentration of a bad mix of pheromones. It’ll make an alpha sick and disoriented just long enough to get away.”

“I’m not gonna use this on Kageyama.” Hinata sounded angry and offended.

“He’s not the only alpha you have to worry about.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re still being interviewed by those asshole ‘health inspectors,’ right?”

“Oh…”

“Just keep it on you.”

There was another pause as Hinata shuffled around, presumably hiding whatever Tsuki had given him. “Why are you being so nice?”

“I’m not. I’m being smart, and you’re both idiots, so you need all the help you can get.”

“Why’d you have to go and ruin it like that?”

“Just being honest.” Kageyama could hear the smirk in Tsuki’s voice.

Without another word, Tsuki walked away, but it was towards Kageyama’s hiding spot. Kageyama panicked, and shuffled to the other side of the vending machine to try and hide better. Tsuki walked directly in front of him anyways and stopped. Tsuki didn’t look at the other man, just kept his head forward, and his hands relaxed in his pockets.

“You reek of anxious alpha.” Tsuki spoke softly so they wouldn’t be overheard. “It’s about to make me gag.”

Kageyama didn’t say anything, and he kept his eyes on the ground, purposefully not challenging Tsuki.

“Are you angry that I gave him that?”

“No.”

Tsuki paused for a moment to arrange his face into a look of utter boredom. “Do your job, _alpha_ , and keep the vultures away, so he doesn’t have to use it.” Saying nothing more, Tsuki walked off.

Kageyama didn’t move, lost in his own head as he was. He stood there long enough that class began without him. Funny, that. How life kept moving without regard for the utter stillness of his personal reality.

 

~*~

 

When Kageyama left the clubroom after practice, Hinata was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Without a word, they walked together to go collect Hinata’s bike, and walk their normal path through the darkened city streets.

The silence was heavy, and it felt like a pressure on Kageyama’s chest. He was acutely aware of how this time, they weren’t touching each other at all. The small distance between them felt so very vast.

In a spot that was quiet and empty of people, Hinata stopped. He kept his eyes down and fixated on his bike. Kageyama simply stood beside the smaller man, unsure if he should even attempt to say anything.

“I’m sorry…” Hinata said at last.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Kageyama returned, a little too fast.

Hinata rolled his eyes. “Yes. I do.” He took a deep breath, and steeled his shoulders. “Even though I knew better, and even though you fixed it, and even though you would never order me around, when you gave that command…”

“You could no longer trust me.” Kageyama stated it as an emotionless fact.

“ _No_. I felt like I couldn’t trust _me_.”

Kageyama blinked, and tried to process that. “What do you mean?”

“I _knew_ I didn’t have to follow the order, but I _wanted_ to.” Hinata moved his hands as his face scrunched up, trying to find the right words. “It was like a tug in my chest, and I wanted to hug you, and I wanted to just stay wrapped around you and not move.” Hinata huffed. “I didn’t know what it meant, or what was caused by what, or if I really wanted any of it for myself instead of just on instinct.”

It was a confusing jumble of words, and Kageyama stayed quiet in hopes of Hinata elaborating more.

“I stayed away because I wanted to see if you’d get needy like alphas do, or angry at the people near me, or if you would be pushy. But the more you stayed away, the more I wanted you close to me.” Hinata scuffed his shoe against the ground. “I was overthinking it. I panicked.”

“I don’t blame you.”

“You should. You didn’t do anything _wrong_. In fact, my mother would have completely lost it and screamed at me for hours and would try to lock me in my room. Nobody else would have told me what you did, and especially not just to prove that they weren’t trying to control me.”

Hinata turned and looked up at Kageyama at last. “I freaked out, and then I tried to force you to act like an alpha trope. So yeah, I’m sorry.”

“Hinata… I’ll do whatever you want me to. You just have to tell me.”

“How’s that any different from an alpha giving orders?”

Kageyama was stunned at that. He hadn’t even considered such a response. Perhaps he should come to expect that from Hinata. Everything Kageyama expected the man to say never came true.

“I just want to be me, and I just want you to be you, and I don’t want to have to worry about it anymore. It’s driving me crazy.”

Hinata reached out, and twined his fingers together with Kageyama’s. That touch, after so long apart, felt like bliss, despite how simple it was. Kageyama’s eyelashes fluttered closed for a moment, enjoying it for what it was. He hadn’t realized how much he craved even the smallest amount of intimacy.

“I missed you,” Kageyama admitted.

A smile tugged at Hinata’s lips. He looked up at Kageyama with warm, sincere eyes, and whispered, “I like you, Tobio.”

Sharp, electric currents burst through Kageyama’s chest. He bent forward, gently pressing their foreheads together as he desperately tried to suck in air. Warmth bloomed in his cheeks. Hearing his name, hearing that confession, it all felt far too good. He was drowning in it.

“I like you, Shoyo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m trying to follow certain Japanese habits, despite how much I dislike writing Japanese settings because I am only mildly aware of culture differences and I’m a perfectionist. lol But I know that “love” is rarely used and “like” is used for everything. Also first(given) names are used on an intimate level, so for family and lovers (or close childhood friends). It can take a while for lovers to start using first names, as they tend to find it embarrassing. I did my best to incorporate that.
> 
> This chapter has so much social rhetoric. XD But you have no idea how much fun it's been for me to determine what kind of social issues would overlay themselves with irl known issues for different countries in an abo world. Japan particularly so, since they have a hard enough time with male/female equality and homosexuality as it is. Throwing in omega propaganda and alpha privilege is a logical next step, ya know?
> 
> E rating makes its debut next chapter. teehee


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horny teens being horny teens in the beginning of this chapter.

“Kageyama, _please_.”

A room with thin walls in a cheap onsen on the last day of Golden Week was perhaps not the place to do this. Suga had heard about Hinata’s removal from games, and had sent them tickets for a free night. He claimed that his plans had been cancelled, and thought they might like to use them since everyone else he knew was busy. It was probably a lie, and the alumni had all pitched in for a gift because they felt sorry for their kouhais.

“I want to. _Tobio_.”

Kageyama hadn’t turned down the offer. How could he? The couple rarely had alone time together, and a onsen retreat would help relax Hinata. Kageyama had hoped that it would be a good distraction. He just hadn’t realized where Hinata’s mind would go.

“Ah!”

They only had the one night, and they made the best of their day, visiting all the pools, and enjoying all the food. That night was supposed to be a relaxing meal, a lot of unabashed cuddling, and maybe they would make-out a few times. Except…

“I can’t wait any longer,” Hinata whined.

Hinata, who was straddling Kageyama’s lap.

Hinata, with kiss-swollen lips and heavy eyes.

Hinata, writhing around like an incubus incarnate.

Kageyama, who was a healthy, and thus far denied, eighteen year old, didn’t stand a chance.

Their yukatas were barely holding onto them, already untied and open, a puddle of cloth around them, the sleeves catching on their elbows. Hinata’s hands were wild, feeling every inch of skin in front of him like he needed to try it all before picking his favorite spots. Kageyama had a more sedate pace, running over all the places he’d always wanted to touch like he was trying to memorize it.

The only thing keeping them chaste was their underwear, stretched and bulging as they were. Hinata kept thrusting forward, rubbing along Kageyama with desperate whines. Every time it happened, Kageyama felt another sliver of his mind melt out of his ears.

“Touch me,” Hinata whispered, his lips brushing along Kageyama’s jaw. A challenge lay in Hinata’s voice, and Kageyama instinctively wanted to rise to it. There had been reasons he was holding back, but he found that he couldn’t remember them.

Light, shy fingers grazed against his clothed dick, and Kageyama’s mind shattered. All he could focus on was the need to be freed from his confines, the need to touch and be touched, the need to hear every pleasured noise Hinata could make.

Kageyama’s fingers fumbled over the fabric in a frenzied desire to move it out of the way. The moment his cock hit fresh air, calloused fingers were wrapping around it, exploring every inch of it. Kageyama gasped and shuddered. It felt like heaven.

When he finally managed to force open his fluttering eyelids, the sight of Hinata’s hand on him ripped a long moan from his throat. Hinata’s thumb flicked over the weeping head, and Kageyama’s balls drew up tight to his body. This was going to be embarrassingly short.

“What?” Hinata asked, breathless and blushing. “You’re gonna let me win?”

A growl rumbled in Kageyama’s throat as his hand wrapped around Hinata in return. Hinata’s skin was soft and pliable, but the steel underneath was girthier than Kageyama. Good thing he had such long fingers. He ran them along the shaft in all the ways he preferred, in hopes that Hinata would enjoy it as well.

Hinata’s head dropped down to press against the side of Kageyama’s neck. The smaller man let out harsh huffs of breath as his hips rocked into Kageyama’s skillful fingers. His own hand picked up its pace, wanting to give better than he received. Not that Kageyama was going to let the other win that easily.

After so many handsy make-out sessions, Kageyama knew all the spots Hinata loved most. So Kageyama attacked them with his free hand, noting the differences in Hinata’s reaction to skin on skin contact. The jerks of movement, the gasps of breath, the needy little noises… they were intoxicating. He barely noticed his own building pleasure in the face of watching Hinata in the throes of his.

Then, Hinata bit Kageyama. It wasn’t enough to break skin, but Hinata’s teeth sinking into the scar of their bonding mark had Kageyama shouting his release in an instant. His nails dug into Hinata’s hip as he shuddered through his climax. Hinata’s messy fingers trailed lightly over sensitive skin, leaving Kageyama trembling from the too-much feeling of it.

When thought started filtering through the cloud of pleasure in his mind once more, Kageyama noticed that Hinata was dropping tiny kisses all along his neck. Hinata’s breath rushed over his skin in a quickened pace. In his hand, Hinata thrust shallowly, still chasing after what Kageyama had just enjoyed.

Coming back to his senses, Kageyama trailed his hand from hip to ass and clutched a handful of the perky flesh he’d been dying to touch for so long now. There was a sharp intake of breath by his ear, and then a heavy moan as Kageyama picked back up the pace, easily working Hinata over.

Watching Hinata cum was hands down one of Kageyama’s favorite sights. His head tipped back, exposing his throat. His eyes closed and lips just barely parted. His arms trembling from where they gripped at Kageyama’s own. His chest swelling with air, and then pausing as the first waves of pleasure washed over him. The look on his face… Kageyama would think about that often on nights alone in his bed.

They ended in a tangle of limbs on the floor, pools of cotton surrounding them, sharing sleepy kisses anywhere they could find skin. Eventually, they would clean up and move to the futon, but for that moment, they simply basked in the warmth of afterglow.

For his part, Kageyama breathed in Hinata’s scent as he enjoyed, for the first time, a feeling of pure blissful contentment.

 

~*~

 

It was decided that Hinata would stay in the stands instead of on the bench. Hinata was the one that pushed it. He was terrified of a repeat incident and didn’t want to be the cause of the team getting disqualified. Kageyama had to be talked into staying on the bench in case something happened to the other setter. He argued, but Hinata eventually convinced Kageyama that it was the best plan.

The first game they played set everyone to talking. The fact that the power duo of Karasuno were staying out of the game was _big news_. Everyone wanted to know the details, and rumors spread quickly. It wasn’t long before people started figuring it out.

It was at that point that Hinata started getting strange reactions at the competitions. People weren’t sure what to do with a male omega. Perhaps in the past it would have just been slightly awkward encounters, but with the new laws being a current hot topic, everyone had an opinion. Most of those people were happy to launch their opinion at Hinata, as if he somehow represented the entire male omega community.

As if he was just a symbolic problem and not an individual.

His teammates would surround and shield him from the worst of it. Karasuno had a reputation for being full of punks thanks to the spotlight they received during Tanaka’s and Asahi’s era. Mostly people decided it was safer to give them space when they were obviously so protective.

Of course, that backfired as well. Everyone was talking about how the needy omega was controlling everyone on his team. Hinata’s health inspector for his case made plenty of mention to it as well. It left Hinata in a spiral, unsure of what was outside assumptions and paranoid accusations, and what was real biology.

Kageyama did his best to curb as much as he could of that. He knew what Hinata’s pheromones were like. He was around them regularly. They affected him stronger sometimes because he was an alpha, and a bond mate at that. Still, it was nothing out of the ordinary. He insisted that Hinata was no different from Yachi.

Hinata didn’t believe the claims for various reasons. Either Kageyama was biased, lying to be protective, used to it, or affected by Hinata’s supposedly mutant pheromones. It lead to a lot of fights between them — something Hinata both seemed to hate and appreciate. Deep down, he liked being reassured that he could always argue against Kageyama if need be.

The longer the season went on, the more attention they received, and the more underhanded comments Hinata bore. Kageyama was frequently dragged away to keep him from starting a fight. It would only prove others right if Kageyama was constantly trying to attack those that went near Hinata, despite the valid reasons.

Regardless of the team’s best efforts, sometimes Hinata was left alone. During those times, Kageyama fretted the most. He knew people were saying things, but Hinata rarely spoke of it. With such a distance between them on the court, Kageyama was in a constant state of paranoia, worried about the fact that he wouldn’t be there to protect Hinata.

During one of the games — an important game he should be paying attention to, if he were honest — he was staring into the stands obsessively, as if he could keep Hinata safe with force of will alone. Hinata did his best to stay positive, cheering on his teammates, jumping around, and enthusiastically calling for new cheers.

Kageyama saw the threat approaching long before Hinata did. With his place on the bench, Kageyama could do nothing but watch. His clenched his fingers against his knees, shaking with the need to run up there and intervene. One of the freshman gave him a nervous glance. Likely, he was throwing off all kinds of _angry_.

“Oi! Freak!” The sound echoed loud enough that Kageyama could hear it even from a distance. A growl slipped past his lips and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He shook all over, desperately trying to keep himself seated.

Hinata panicked at the sight of the new person, and put more distance between them. He immediately put on a wary and falsely confrontational face. Hinata had gotten better over the years at faking his confidence around those that intimidated him, but when startled, he always turned into a frightened omega. Like a hissing kitten that acted like he wanted to fight, but would run at the first opportunity.

Kageyama couldn’t hear what was being said, but he saw their lips move. Others around Hinata tried to bar the new person’s way, but he pushed them aside, yelling at them as well. A few others showed up, rallying behind the new person. Fear clenched at Kageyama’s gut. He was seconds away from abandoning his post, and rushing into the stands.

That was, until a giant hand from a giant person landed on the shoulder of the asshole spewing who only knew what at the Karasuno cheering squad. The group of antagonists turned to find the menacing glower and presence of none other than Aone Takanobu. The small group panicked and shrank back in shock. Aone, true to form, didn’t speak. He just glared at them in mute hostility.

It didn’t take long for the group to retreat, acting like a cliche scene from a movie where the alpha scares off the riffraff. However, Aone wasn’t an alpha. Up close and personal, Aone was a very calm beta with a presence that was borderline relaxing. It was only his death stare, height, and intense competitiveness that turned him into someone so foreboding.

The Karasuno cheering squad gaped at the silent rescuer, and tensed when he walked into their ranks. Aone stopped in front of Hinata, bowed slightly, and then calmly sat down on the bleachers to watch the game. A smile bloomed over Hinata’s face.

Before everyone had recovered, Hinata was jumping into a new cheer, forcing the group to follow his lead and brush off what had just happened. Aone clapped politely from his seat.

Kageyama’s breath released in a rush, and his muscles untensed. He felt worn out, yet all he had done so far was sit on the bench and stare at the stands. The alpha in him stirred unhappily at not being the one protecting his bond mate, but he pushed the emotion down. He was happy that Hinata had people he could rely on — people that would stand up for Hinata, despite the circumstances.

In a way, it was comforting to know that Kageyama didn’t have to bear all the responsibility. He couldn’t be in two places at once. He couldn’t stay constantly glued to Hinata’s side. He couldn’t lock Hinata away to protect him from the world. Those were things Hinata would hate. Things he feared, even.

But what Kageyama _could_ do, was push aside his selfish desires, and learn to rely on others.

Once more, word got around in the world of high school volleyball. More people, including former opponents, came forward to silently stand with Hinata at the games. More people tried to harass the groups, but it regularly didn’t end well for them. The allies were smart and prepared, the belligerent aggressors not as much.

Hinata thought that what was happening was a good thing. People were seeing that Hinata was being respectful of the rules, but also not hiding. There were those that blatantly showed their respect of Hinata, and that was huge. It wasn’t a big enough thing to draw all that much attention, but it was significant in showing that volleyball players would protect their own.

It was a steady bubble of safety that had formed around Hinata.

Until the day he was given a chance to pop it.

They were at practice when Takeda-sensei barreled into the gym, tripping over himself in his haste. His glasses were askew and there was a crumpled piece of paper gripped in his trembling hand. Everyone froze and stared at their wild-eyed advisor.

“Something’s happened!” he squeezed out through heavy breaths. It sounded like he had run full force all the way to the gym.

“What? What happened?” Coach Ukai demanded, hurrying over.

Takeda handed over the paper — something printed out and official looking. He didn’t look at Ukai, however, he looked at Hinata. “Nekoma filed a grievance stating that the new rule didn’t have a medical exception. One of their betas has a bad reaction to suppressants, and thus can’t play. He uses alternative means, but according to the rules, he’s still banned. Coach Nekomata managed to get a strong enough backing to force a revisal of the rule!”

Kageyama took a few quick steps closer to Hinata. “What does that mean?”

“It means…” Ukai said in astonishment, staring at the paper still. “That the rule is suspended. Hinata can play.”

Everyone stood there in shock, unsure of how to handle what they had just heard. It should have been exciting, and perhaps at the beginning of the season it would have been, but after all of the comments thrown at Hinata so far…

“Hinata,” Ukai looked up at last. “It’s up to you. Nobody would blame you if you don’t want to play. However, we’d all be happy to see you back on the court.”

Kageyama could hear the click in Hinata’s throat as the man swallowed. There was a fine tremble in Hinata’s hands. “Wouldn’t it just cause more problems?”

“It might,” Takeda said honestly. “That’s a decision you have to make.”

“It’s the semi-finals coming up,” Tsuki added, though he said no more than that. Everyone knew what he meant. Kageyama and Hinata were their best chance at making it further in the season.

“I…” Hinata took a shaky breath. “I have to think about it.”

Hinata desired being on the court just as much as Kageyama did. Hinata loved the game perhaps _more_ than Kageyama did. To see Hinata hesitate spoke volumes to exactly the kind of treatment he’d been receiving. It left Kageyama feeling sick. Everyone around them looked much the same.

Later than night Kageyama sat by Hinata, their sides pressed together, as he text Kenma.

 **\+ Hinata:** Did you do this? Did you talk to Coach Nekomata?

 **\+ Kenma:** You have people that support you. Remember that.

Hinata closed his eyes for a moment, taking that in. Knowing that their rivals had stopped at nothing to find a loophole was an overwhelming feeling. Kageyama made a mental note that he owed them one. Or ten, given how much this meant.

 **\+ Hinata:** Would it be bad for me to go back out there? That’s just bringing more attention to us…

 **\+ Kenma:** Take it from someone who has tried his whole life to be invisible: It doesn’t work.

Hinata gripped his phone tight in his hands as he breathed slowly in and out. “I want to play… But it’s not just me that will be affected… Is that selfish?” He turned bright, watery eyes to Kageyama.

Gentle fingers brushed through that shock of orange hair. “Everyone wants you to play. It’s important to them. Maybe it’ll be insignificant in the larger picture, but you’d be taking a stand.”

“I always wanted the world to watch me play… but not like this. I wanted to inspire people, like the Little Giant did me.”

“Who says you won’t be inspirational?”

Hinata’s eyes brimmed with tears, but for once, he held them back. There was a long pause before he whispered, “I want to play.”

“Then play.”

So they did. All eyes were on them as the power duo took the court once more. Alumni from Nekoma turned out to cheer them on with smug smiles. They created a barrier between the team and those throwing frantic questions at the alpha/omega pair. The game made the local news, and not because they had won, but because of _who_ had assisted in that win.

During the finals match, Karasuno alumi turned out to protect and stand in force for Hinata’s right to play. During the game, Hinata was unusually quiet and focused. He threw every bit of himself into the game, going far beyond what he safely should have. Everyone remarked over how odd it was for an omega to have such physical abilities and competitive prowess. Kageyama wanted to scream at them all.

They won Nationals that year, and the trophy was handed to Hinata. It was a big deal, and all anybody talked about for nearly two weeks.

Hinata and Kageyama agreed to not participate in the winter matches. It was too much publicity as it was, and it risked the possibility of bad press. They had ended on a good note, and it was best to leave it at that. They still practiced with the team, however. Drilling them relentlessly in order to hold their own during the upcoming season and beyond.

Hinata’s classroom life was odd. There were those determined to make friends with him, those that stayed protectively closer to him in the halls, and those that blatantly ignored him. There were bare few that attempted to bully Hinata, but they dissolved into mild passing comments when they realized who the alpha was that they would have to go through. The protective reputation of the volleyball team also had an effect on their decision.

As much as things changed, just as much didn’t. The ripple they made in their own small world of sports opened up new avenues of discussion, but the debates on male omegas largely stayed the same. Hinata often admitted that all the trouble they had gone through felt pointless. Even during those depressing times that Kageyama internally agreed, he always argued the contrary out loud.

Somewhere, to someone, what had happened had been important. For the most part, they believed that.

On their last day of school, after the graduation ceremony, Kageyama was dragged into a picture with Hinata by Hinata’s family. People around them openly stared, being braver for feeling like they would never see their classmates again. So in return, Hinata kissed Kageyama in the open, in front of all of them, seemingly smug at the scandalized gasps exploding around them like fireworks.

For whatever reason, Hinata’s mother took a picture of that as well.

High school was over. Competition was over. Now, they faced the great unknown beyond their insulated world.

It should have been the time that Kageyama fretted over releasing the suggestion he had placed on Hinata nearly two years ago. However, at home on his desk sat a letter from their caseworker informing them of their next appointment and where to show up.

After all, they weren’t married yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic covers soooo much time. I’m so glad I finally have them out of high school. T.T Onward to adulthood!
> 
> Also, the mental image I have of Aone politely clapping in the stands cracks me up whenever I think about it. XD I love Aone/Hinata as a ship, too. There never seems to be enough content for that ship, tho. If you guys know of any good stuff, please share in the comments! <3
> 
> Fun Fact: Though I will not be able to include Oikawa (as much as I adore him), I have thought about his storyline a lot. He is a beta that has always been trying to find ways to prove himself in an alpha driven world. He thought he had accomplished that prior to Kageyama joining the team. He then had to reevaluate how he was orchestrating his team when he was on the court, changing his style from mimicking the demanding behavior of alphas, to learning and supporting his team unlike any other. Thus, winning the award for best setter.
> 
> When Ushiwaka said that Oikawa should have joined Shiratorizawa, Oikawa was very annoyed. Ushiwaka only thought about what was best in order to accomplish his goals, and believed that Oikawa’s style would best benefit the team. Oikawa believed that there was a chance he wouldn’t be allowed on an all alpha team. And even if he was, it wouldn’t feel like supporting the other plays, it would feel like bending to their will. Oikawa would have ended up hating volleyball had he joined Shiratorizawa. Not to mention, he had no intentions of being separated from Iwa-chan. (I’m not saying they're in a relationship, but I’m also not saying they aren’t. ;-p)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is where I get to play around more with the a/b/o verse. I hope you enjoy. <3

They had discussed quite a bit prior to graduating what they wanted to do in the future. They both decided not to attend college. Neither of them were scholars, and with their tutor gone, there was a good chance that they would flunk out. Perhaps they would have had more leeway if they played on a college team, but they both agreed to only play volleyball for fun after high school.

Through connections in the family, Kageyama was able to find a few places willing to hire him. He decided on Tokyo for a lot of reasons. There was a high chance of finding jobs more willing to hire Hinata. In the sea of people, the two of them could be easily forgotten. Their caseworker wouldn’t be able to visit as often, which was a huge plus.

Most importantly, they had a place to stay. Kenma’s roommate had moved out, so he offered the spare room to the couple, and even agreed to float them a month while Kageyama worked towards his first paycheck. Being friends with the Nekoma team meant they had some connections in the area. It worked out well.

Hinata was a nervous wreck during the move. He’d never been on his own and so far away from his family. There was also the factor that he would be living together with his boyfriend. Sharing the same space. Sleeping in the same bed.

Kageyama could understand. A nervous excitement ran through him as well. He just wasn’t so affected by it. He ended up buying a package of barf bags for Hinata. It was just easier that way.

Strangely, being around Kenma settled Hinata in a way that Kageyama hadn’t been able to for the past week. It grated on his alpha instincts, but he ignored it. If the quiet, sedate beta was what Hinata needed, then Kageyama wasn’t going to stand in the way of it. He let them have some time alone to catch up as he unpacked clothes into their new closet.

Kageyama was mostly done with his task when Hinata poked his head through the door. “Hey…” His shoulders were curled in and he looked guilty, possibly meek. It was very out of character. “Kenma is ordering takeout to celebrate us moving in. There anything you want?”

“I’ll eat anything.” Kageyama moved closer, and ran his fingers lightly through Hinata’s hair. Those restless eyes fluttered closed for a moment, and some of the tension drained from the smaller man. “What’s wrong?”

“Mmm…” Hinata looked up to make eye contact at last. “This is all new and… I don’t know what to do.”

“Whatever you want to do. Nobody’s stopping you.”

Hinata looked uncertain. “Are you mad?”

“About what?”

“About me freaking out all week.”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Other than you growling a lot during the move? You’ve been ignoring us.”

“I’m not mad. I just wanted to give you time to relax. It’s the first time you’ve been calm in a while.”

A smile tugged at one corner of Hinata’s lips, causing his entire demeanor to change. “You’re a good alpha, you know that?”

Kageyama swatted at Hinata, but he dodged the attack with a laugh. “I _should_ be telling you to unpack your own shit.”

“But you’re so _good_ at unpacking,” Hinata whined, before laughing again as he darted out of the way of Kageyama’s not-so-serious assault.

After that, things calmed down a lot. Hinata was still unsure of how to navigate such an unfamiliar environment, but he settled into new habits fairly well. They both slept fitfully, not used to sharing a bed with someone, but that also got better over time. Kageyama decided to keep intimacy between them chaste until they were used to their new routines.

That seemed to please Hinata just fine, who was acting surprisingly awkward around his partner. He tended turn away or sneak off to the bathroom in order to change clothes. Kageyama watched such actions with great confusion.

“We changed in front of each other in the locker rooms all the time.”

“That was different!” Hinata squeaked.

“How is it different?”

“ _Bakageyama_!”

Hinata didn’t elaborate and Kageyama tried to let it go. However, the nagging need to win the argument wouldn’t leave him alone. Not to mention, he wanted to touch Hinata. Kageyama’s new work environment was something he’d never experienced, and frustrating to start out in. His go-to stress relief had morphed over the years from volleyball practice to Hinata’s touch. Without a convenient gym nearby, and Hinata pulling away, Kageyama was left with an annoying itch under his skin.

It finally exploded out of him one night after a long and stressful day, only to come home to a pouting and restless Hinata. “Why are you embarrassed?!”

“Why are you not?” Hinata snapped as he stormed into their room, Kageyama hot on his heels.

“Because we’ve done this a thousand times before!”

“Not like this!” Hinata whirled around, eyes narrowed and face aflame. “There was always a— a— stopping point! We would get _whoosh_ , but we’d have to stop.”

“Do you… not want… to continue?” Kageyama felt like his entire ego was squashed. They had only gone so far once, at the onsen, but was it so bad that Hinata wanted to avoid it after that?

“That’s not what I mean!” Hinata paced, and his arms worked as he searched for words. “I… I _do_ want to…”

“But…” Kageyama prompted.

Hinata abruptly stopped moving and stared at his toes. “What if I want to stop?”

“You think you won’t like it?”

“See!” Hinata’s head snapped up to glare at Kageyama. “I knew you’d say that!”

“Then I don’t understand what you mean!”

“Of course you don’t! Alphas are _always_ in control. You don’t know what it’s like from my end!”

Kageyama blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected that, or even thought of it. Was Hinata’s fear of alphas finally returning? “You think I’m going to force you into something?”

“No! It’s just…” Hinata looked away, his fingers anxiously fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “What if I’m not ready for something… and you go into a rut?”

“Hinata…” Kageyama ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t care if I’m in a rut or not. If you say stop, I’m going to stop.”

Hinata’s toes curled into the floorboards over and over. “Even if I tell you to stop in the middle of making out?”

Kageyama raised an eyebrow. “Are you wanting to test me?”

Hinata stuck his nose in the air, making eye contact with Kageyama, eyes narrowed in a challenge. “And if I do? Are you gonna get mad?”

“If I have to get up and take a cold shower, are _you_ going to get mad that I left?”

That seemed to surprise Hinata, and he blinked a few times as he considered that. “Are you… worried that you’ll make me angry?”

Kageyama scowled. “Of course I am, dumbass.”

“Oh…” All the tension dropped from Hinata’s shoulder, and a bright grin lit up his face. “Hu hu. You must like me a lot.”

On instinct, Kageyama’s hand shot out, and gripped Hinata’s head. However, he didn’t have it in him to squeeze like he used to. Hinata just laughed as he playfully fought Kageyama off. That night, they finally tried sleeping curled around each other like a real couple. It ended with a lot of sleep induced knees and elbows into not-fun places, but they were happy nonetheless.

The night after that, they cuddled together on the bed, and discussed Kageyama’s day. About halfway through, they abandoned all pretence and ended up lip locked, fingers roaming everywhere. From then on, they could barely keep their hands off of each other, to the point Kenma blushed whenever he saw them for a week straight.

Kageyama felt a little bad about that, but it didn’t stop him. It simply felt too good to have Hinata in his arms once again.

Though Kageyama tried to show some restraint in their sexual exploration, Hinata’s concerns seemed for naught. The smaller man regularly took the lead, and Kageyama allowed it to happen. It seemed to please Hinata a great deal, and it was hardly a sacrifice for Kageyama. He was in heaven.

For a long time, they enjoyed a wide variety of hand jobs, learning each other as well as they knew themselves. They explored each other’s bodies, learning all the places they didn’t know they liked having touched. They played with positions, though Hinata seemed to enjoy laying on top of Kageyama the best. Kageyama found he enjoyed the weight of Hinata as the smaller man jerked his hips in order to rub their erections together at a needy pace.

The day Kageyama received a bashful nod from Hinata that allowed Kageyama’s mouth to wrap around Hinata’s thick member, Hinata came in under thirty seconds. Hinata had been embarrassed, but Kageyama was rather proud of himself. They ended up doing that more frequently.

Though, to be frank, the sex was a distraction as much for Hinata as it was for Kageyama. Prior to moving, they had acquired a list of omega friendly employers around Tokyo. However, every place Hinata went turned him down. The worst part, was that it had little to do with prejudice. They wanted to help, but with the new laws, they were all afraid of receiving too much government attention. It was just bad timing.

Hinata tried to stay positive and understanding, but Kageyama could see the toll it was taking. What was worse, Kageyama could do nothing about it. They didn’t need a second income currently, but that was hardly the point. Hinata didn’t want to become a housewife. He wanted to be useful. But unless he chose to work at some shady club, there were no real options.

Kenma was the one to bring home the reality of the situation. He had them both sitting at the table during a shared meal when he firmly but softly stated, “Whoever is sending you those suppressants is risking a lot. It’s not safe for them to be mailed to you in bulk like that.”

The sound of chopsticks nervously clicking against a rice bowl filled the silence as Hinata fidgeted. He wouldn’t look Kenma in the eye. “I have to be on suppressants,” he muttered.

“Not if you’re just staying at home. Besides, you’re supposed to come off of them eventually.”

It was true, and Kenma already had. Kageyama was taking reduced doses as he was being slowly backed off of them, allowing his body to adjust and get used to his new heightened state. He would need to better learn to control his emotions, along with his instinctual urges to release pheromones with every thought that passed through him.

“But I don’t know how to back off of them!” Hinata whined. “I can’t just go to a doctor.” Not to mention Yachi would eventually have to stop suppressants herself, and weaning off wouldn’t be pills she could easily share.

“It’s not safe to try it yourself,” Kenma’s voice firmed, concerned about the health of his friend. “I did some research. It’s easier to just drop off of them completely, and save the rest of the pills in case you need them for a single day in the future.”

“No! That makes you go crazy!” Hinata slammed his chopsticks onto the table. “I can’t do that!”

“It doesn’t make you go crazy.” Kenma kept that soft tone he always had, and it always seemed to calm Hinata in a way Kageyama couldn’t. “Your hormones will be erratic for about a week, but they will level off. Then you can get used to things at a relaxed pace.”

“I don’t want to get used to it…” Hinata pouted.

“It’s the suppressants that are unnatural. You are just going back to what your body is supposed to be like.”

Hinata made a face. “According to everyone else, I’m not supposed to _be_ at all.”

“That’s not true!” Kageyama’s voice cracked a little too harsh, but he couldn’t help it. It physically hurt to think that Hinata might feel that way about himself.

“Hinata,” Kenma soothed, easily covering for Kageyama’s outburst. “We just want you to be healthy.”

Slumping over the table, Hinata picked at his rice absently. His bottom lip stuck out and his eyes held defiance, but he didn’t argue.

The next day, Hinata stopped taking suppressants.

Three days later, Kageyama was reconsidering their decision.

All day, Kageyama’s phone had blown up with texts from Hinata. They had ranged anywhere from a polite hello to an indecipherable string of angry characters, and everything in between. When he returned home, an unusually frazzled Kenma announced that he was going out with some friends and bolted from the apartment. Kageyama slowly approached the bedroom as if he were in a horror film.

Hinata was sprawled out on the floor, shirt pulled up to his armpits, and a thick blanket lay beside him. His cheeks were red, and a fine sheen of sweat covered his body. His phone sat beside his head, open and on speaker. Hinata was crying.

“ _Mooooom_! Don’t laugh at me! I feel like I’m dying!”

On the other end of the line, Hinata’s mother giggled. “You know I went through the same thing when I was pregnant? The hormones didn’t sit well with me. Your father came home one day to find me crying over half a carton of melted ice cream. When he asked what was wrong, I threw it at his head! It was such a mess!” She laughed at the memory.

“I don’t wanna be pregnant!” Hinata wailed, as if it was even a physical possibility.

His mother chuckled. “Honey, these are all natural hormones and chemicals that everyone’s body has. _Your_ body just needs to learn how to sort them out. It’ll take some time.”

“But I’m dying _now_!”

“Oh, you’re not dying. It’s okay. You’re just going to need to invest in some snacks and tissues for a little while.”

Hinata sniffled in response. “You’re the best mom!” The next moment, he was sobbing, and his mother was doing her best to contain her amusement as she tried to sooth her son.

Kageyama lightly knocked on the wall to get Hinata’s attention. Hinata sat bolt upright, and gaped as Kageyama gave a soft, “I’m back.”

Anxiety, fear, anger, guilt, longing, and annoyance flashed across Hinata’s face in that order. Seemingly unable to pick an emotion to have, he burst into a fresh bought of tears. “This is all your fault!”

“Yes, yes,” Kageyama replied and walked over to sit on the floor within reach.

Over the next hour, they both talked to Hinata’s mother about the wild ride of hormonal mood swings. During that time, Hinata would fly back and forth between cuddling Kageyama, and being too angry to touch. He also couldn’t decide if he was too hot to breathe, or freezing cold. The tears happened at random, and sometimes over the oddest of things.

When Hinata’s mother finally ended the call, Hinata was wrapped around one of Kageyama’s legs, pouting. “I keep getting horny, too…” he muttered.

“Good thing you didn’t inform your mother of that.”

“I hate you.”

“Yes, yes.” Kageyama gently brushed his fingers through Hinata’s tangled hair.

“Did you know this would happen?”

“Reading it and seeing it are two different things… Didn’t you read the information Kenma printed out for us?”

“I read ‘highly emotional’ and decided I didn’t want to know.”

“It’ll level out.”

“Do you know how messed up it is to be jacking off, and then start crying over birds you saw in a tree two years ago?”

“Birds?” Kageyama just blinked at Hinata, nonplussed.

Tears wavered in Hinata’s wide eyes, and the smaller man made a valiant attempt to hold them back, his entire face screwing up in effort. “They were so in love…” He made it no further than that before his throat choked up, and he started crying.

Kageyama rubbed soothing circles on Hinata’s back as Hinata desperately tried to form sensical words to explain how in love the birds in the cherry blossom trees were. It had something to do with how they flew around each other before taking off into the sky, with one of them carrying a petal for the other. It was an odd thing to remember, but Hinata wasn’t making too much sense at the moment.

That night, Hinata slept fitfully, tossing and turning, and eventually punching Kageyama for producing too much body heat. Immediately afterwards, Hinata had sobbed an apology. Frankly, Kageyama had thought that was the worst of it.

He was wrong.

The next day found Hinata even more erratic, and he promptly tore through all the snacks Kageyama had brought home. Kenma once more made a break for it, and Hinata experienced almost every emotion under the sun because of it. Kageyama didn’t blame Kenma. After all, the beta was at home more hours than Kageyama was. Kenma did his best to work with Hinata, but Kenma was easily overwhelmed on a good day.

By the fifth day, Hinata looked like he was in pain. His head was stuffy from all the crying, his body was physically exhausted, and he was running on very little sleep. It made him grumpy and his skin hyper sensitive. He stayed in a depressed spiral all day. Kageyama couldn’t handle seeing the bright, irrepressible Hinata reduced to such a state.

“Don’t touch me! You hurt! Everything hurts! The air hurts! It hurts to talk!” Hinata rolled away from Kageyama as the man sat on the edge of the bed.

“Have you eaten?”

“Food hurts!”

Kageyama frowned at the dark circles under Hinata’s red-rimmed eyes. “You’d feel better with some rest.”

“I can’t sleep.” It sounded like Hinata wanted to cry, but was too exhausted to manage it. “I just want to sleep…”

Giving into impulse, Kageyama turned Hinata’s face to force eye contact. Hinata opened his mouth to complain, but Kageyama beat him to it. Throwing power into his voice, Kageyama said simply, “Relax.”

The effect was instant. Hinata’s muscles released, and his face took on a dreamlike quality. He almost melted into the bed. “Yeah…”

“You feel calm.”

Hinata exhaled, his eyes going unfocused, but his face looked borderline blissful now that the suggestion was overriding his mood swings.

“You’re going to fall asleep, and sleep through the night. No nightmares, no hot or cold flashes, just a restful sleep.”

Those already bruised eyes became heavier as the suggestion took hold. Hinata mumbled something about desperately wanting to sleep, then he was out, snoring softly.

Kageyama sighed as guilt twisted his stomach. He had promised himself not to use his Talent on Hinata again, but it wasn’t like Kageyama could just leave the man in such a state. Hinata was suffering. Even if Kageyama’s alpha hadn’t been screaming along his nerves with the need to protect Hinata, Kageyama still wouldn’t have been able to just stand aside and watch.

There was no harm in helping. This was a suggestion that Hinata would appreciate.

Of course, that would have felt like a better excuse if Hinata had been aware of Kageyama’s abilities, and consented to them. But Kageyama couldn’t tell Hinata. Not yet. Besides, in the half crazed state Hinata was in, it was hardly the time to discuss such important topics.

It was a flimsy excuse, but Kageyama clung to it nonetheless.

The next day, Hinata was indeed better. The long night’s sleep returned his appetite, which in turn made him feel more like himself again. He was still having mood swings, but he was keeping control of them easier, and wasn’t crying over everything that happened. He was even happy enough to give Kageyama a kiss goodbye before work. That left Kageyama with a floaty buzz the rest of the day.

By the end of the week, Hinata was mostly recovered, except for having to deal with life outside of suppressants. Kageyama came home regularly to find all the windows open, and fans trying to clear out the air. Hinata released a _lot_ of pheromones when anxious, and it was enough to set even Kenma on edge. Hinata was horrifically embarrassed about it.

“You’ve always been overly anxious. It’s part of your personality.”

“But now everyone has to suffer through it with me!” Hinata pouted, graciously sitting in front of a window with a fan sucking the air out.

“What are you upset about right now?” Kageyama questioned in lieu of a response.

“What do you think? Being trapped like a prisoner in my own home! Everyone hates me because of what I am, and now I can’t even hide it!”

Despite the fan, Kageyama still got a face full of anxious as Hinata fretted at one of his pant legs. It made him want to put Hinata somewhere nobody else could get to and guard the entrance from intruders. It was a stupid instinct, but Kageyama was dealing with his own hormonal realignment.

“You can’t say everybody.”

“Yes, I can.”

“That would include me, and I don’t hate you at all. Quite the opposite.”

Hinata pouted. “You don’t count.”

“Then you can’t say everybody. Besides, it’s not true. Nobody that meets you can hate you. Even your rivals couldn’t hate you.”

Hinata rolled his eyes, but a shy little smile pulled at his lips. “You’re just saying that because you’re in alpha mode.”

“No. I’m saying that because it’s true. If I were in alpha mode, I’d be out there punching everybody in the face because you said they hated you.”

That pulled a laughed out of Hinata at last. Seeing that bright smile turned up at Kageyama once more left a warm feeling in his chest. Without thinking, he reached out and brushed his fingers along Hinata’s cheek. Hinata hummed, and leaned into it, letting his eyes fall shut.

“Thanks for staying with me,” Kageyama whispered.

Intense eyes locked onto Kageyama’s gaze. They stayed silent, and irrationally, it felt like Hinata’s stare pierced Kageyama’s soul. He held his breath, waiting on Hinata to say something first.

At last, Hinata dropped forward onto hands and knees, and leaned into Kageyama’s space. His lips brushed lightly over Kageyama’s, a whisper of skin that bloomed into the sweetest kiss they had shared so far. Kageyama’s chest ached with it. He was so far gone for Hinata…

“I think… I don’t ever want to leave…”

Kageyama pulled his boyfriend into his lap. They sat there, limbs wrapped tight around each other, foreheads pressed together, breathing each other in. Kageyama prayed that Hinata would always feel that way, no matter what.

Just in case, he did his best to memorize the feeling of that moment. Hinata’s skin, the weight of him, the smell of him, the warmth he gave off. The feel of his lips so light against his own. The little sounds he made as he pressed impossibly closer.

Kageyama wanted to be able to recall the memory in full detail for the rest of his life.

Just in case…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So another Japanese thing is that in lieu of saying “I love you” you say something equally meaningful. I attempted that at the end of this chapter. Heh
> 
> I didn’t want to have Hinata coming off of suppressants as instant Heat time. I imagine it would be like coming off of anything that messed with your hormones. Doing so abruptly would send you into a very odd state. I felt like that would be more realistic. I hope you enjoyed erratically emotional Hinata. He was fun to write. lol


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is smut. Like, the whole chapter is pure smut that occurs during Hinata’s heat. Only info you might need to know is in the first three paragraphs. You can skip the smut if you want. Otherwise, enjoy the debauchery!

Six months into their new life and both Kageyama and Hinata were both off suppressants. Hinata had found a way to do independent odd jobs online in order to make money. It didn’t pay a lot, but it was certainly more than nothing. It also gave Hinata something to do with his time — other than workout constantly to burn off his energy — which in turn, helped his mood.

The both of them slowly got better about controlling their emotions so as not to flood a room with pheromones. Kenma was amazingly patient about the process, and they ended up buying him a lot of dinners and fancy alcohol out of guilt. He certainly didn’t complain.

What loomed over all of them, but wasn’t spoken about, was Hinata’s heat. It would happen eventually, and they needed to be prepared for it. However, Hinata was loath to talk about it. He found the topic extremely embarrassing, and complained that losing control of his body wasn’t something he wanted to obsess over.

As much as Kageyama didn’t want to push Hinata, they couldn’t ignore it forever, and pretend it wouldn’t happen. So Kageyama quietly collected things they may need, and educated himself further on the details of an omega’s heat. Specifically, male omegas’ heats, for what little he could find on the topic.

Information varied greatly, so Kageyama concluded it was a personal experience, and they would just have to see what happened. Thankfully, he’d been at his job long enough to be able to apply for days off for his rut. There was no way, as young as he was, that he’d be able resist falling into rut when Hinata went into heat.

Kenma was the first to point out Hinata’s preheat behavior. Kageyama had let the actions slip by unawares, so he was grateful that Kenma was helping them out. Hinata vehemently denied that his actions were out of the ordinary, but Kageyama knew that was irrational.

Hinata was slowly feeling warmer to the touch. He was clingier, and wanted skin to skin contact the moment Kageyama walked in the door. Dirty laundry ended up piled around the bed, surrounding Hinata in their scent, though he protested to just being lazy about cleaning. Hinata was also wearing Kageyama’s clothes throughout the day, claiming they were comfier because they were baggy on him.

Kageyama informed his boss of the upcoming heat, and they made arrangements. A week later, Hinata could no longer deny it. The worst of it would last three days, and that was how long Kageyama had off from work. Kenma decided to also spend a few days visiting Kuroo during that time.

Things had started out fairly well. They fooled around such as they always did, but after a short rest, Hinata wanted more. He was completely insatiable. At first, that seemed perfectly fine to Kageyama. Three days full of sex was every man’s dream, right?

Well, things started to get a little more out of sorts as time went on. Kageyama’s rut built up slowly inside of him, and it made his skin uncomfortably tight. His balls ached from where they were in overdrive, producing a lot more ejaculate than normal in his body’s biological desire to breed. This made him both tired and restless, as well as frequently hungry. It was an odd thing to feel in the middle of his lust addled state.

Hinata was in much the same condition. Thankfully, Kageyama had prepared easy to eat food, as all the articles had recommended. They took a break every couple of hours to eat and stay hydrated.

“My body aches like we’ve been practicing while sick and horny all at once,” Hinata pouted.

“Mm,” Kageyama found words to be difficult in the best of times, more so now. Hinata didn’t particularly seem to mind, distracted as he was by his own body’s issues.

They were still naked, and already hardening after their last round. Kageyama was propped up against a wall as he sipped from a water bottle. Hinata was sprawled on the floor, surrounded by the empty containers.

Hinata writhed around on the floor, his eyelashes fluttering. Nothing seemed to fully satisfy him. Kageyama wondered if that was because his body was trying to accomplish something it just couldn’t do. Hinata couldn’t get pregnant, and there were certain parts missing in order for him to feel satisfied.

Of course… Some of the articles on the male omega forums had suggested ways to help deal with that… Though Kageyama was unsure of how well Hinata would handle such a thing.

A needy little whine escaped Hinata’s throat, and the sound shot straight to Kageyama’s cock. The movements Hinata was making looked all the more lewd for it. Before even acknowledging the thought, Kageyama was crawling forward, skin tingling with the need to touch.

When his hands ran up Hinata’s side, the smaller man moaned in appreciation. Kageyama dropped his head and licked a long stipe from belly button to collarbone. Hinata arched into the feeling of it, his hands burying themselves into Kageyama’s hair.

However, when one of Kageyama’s hands touched Hinata’s straining member, Hinata hissed and jerked away. He immediately let out a little sob of annoyance. “I want it, but it’s still— still—”

“Sensitive,” Kageyama offered.

“Yeah,” Hinata breathed, his hips jerking into empty air. “I need… _something_. I don’t _know_!”

He sounded so frustrated and desperate. Kageyama responded to it hard, every nerve buzzing with the need to give his omega what was needed. It belatedly occurred to Kageyama that Hinata was throwing out a lot of pheromones in response to his own heat, no longer capable of controlling it as well as he had previously.

Kageyama moved away and fished under the bed for the stash he had hidden there. Hinata whined at the sudden absence, but Kageyama was back quickly enough, one hand fishing for what he wanted in the bag of goodies.

“I’m going to try something.”

“Try what?” Hinata was half out of it, not fully paying attention to what Kageyama was doing. That was probably best.

“Close your eyes.”

Hinata whined. “I don’t want games. I wanna feel better.”

“Close your eyes.”

Hinata huffed, but did so. He tried to stop moving around as much, but failed. His body was still too high strung. Kageyama distracted Hinata further by mouthing along all of that soft, bare skin. Hinata made plenty of pleased noises over it.

“Come here.” Kageyama pulled the smaller man into his lap, letting Hinata bury his face into Kageyama’s neck, over the scent gland. It helped Hinata relax further, the tension in his muscles going watery and loose.

One hand smoothed up and down Hinata’s back, as the other crept lower, doing its best not to be overly noticeable, or smear the lube along Hinata’s skin just yet. Kageyama swallowed nervously. Hinata was in a good position to bite Kageyama’s ear off for this…

“I want…” Hinata mumbled, rubbing his face against Kageyama’s skin.

“Shhh…” Kageyama soothed, and decided that now was best, what with Hinata being so relaxed.

He slid his finger between Hinata’s cheeks and rubbed the slick of the lube along Hinata’s opening. The reaction was immediate. Hinata’s eyes flew wide and his arms squeezed hard where they were wrapped around Kageyama’s shoulders. Hinata’s nails dug into flesh.

“Wha-wha-what are you doing?!”

“Trust me.”

“Trust you?! Do you have any idea where your finger is right now?!”

“Hinata, relax.”

“Why—”

“I’m going to make you feel better. Relax.” Kageyama took his free hand and pressed Hinata’s face back over his scent gland. Hinata trembled, but as he breathed in, his body went involuntarily lax once more.

Kageyama felt when his rubbing and Hinata’s slack state yielded results. He slowly pushed, letting just a bit of his finger slip inside. Hinata shuddered, a whine building in his throat. That whine didn’t sound discouraging — quite the opposite. Hinata also didn’t try to move away. Kageyama took that as encouragement.

Slowly, he pressed further inside, letting Hinata’s body wrap tight and hot around his digit. A choked moan escaped Hinata as he fought to keep his hips still. Kageyama pressed a kiss to the mop of damp hair by his face.

“Is that what you needed?” Kageyama asked, not sure if Hinata would tell the truth or not.

In response, Hinata whined and his hips bucked of their own accord. That pulled a sharp gasp from him, and his thighs shifted from side to side, unsure if they wanted to move or not. Kageyama took that as a yes.

“I’ll go slow. Just breathe.”

It was mesmerizing, watching how Hinata changed over just a finger inside of him. His mouth hung open, a thin line of spit streaking down his chin. A high flush spread across his cheeks, neck, and chest. His hips stuttered to life, encouraging Kageyama’s finger to a faster, deeper pace.

It was a beautiful sight, and Kageyama drank it in like a man dying of thirst.

“Its…” Hinata panted. “Not enough… More…”

Was Hinata trying to kill him? It felt like it.

“Hold onto my neck,” Kageyama was eager to switch positions. He leaned Hinata back against the side of the bed, his legs hooked over Kageyama’s, spreading out his body, and tilting his ass up for access.

Kageyama removed his fingers long enough to grab a few more items from his bag of goodies, readying it for Hinata’s use. Hinata eyed it all a little apprehensively.

“What’s that?”

“A masturbator.” It was soft on the inside. Soft enough that Hinata’s now overstimulated skin wouldn’t find it painful, especially with how much lube he poured into it.

Kageyama didn’t allow time for Hinata to overthink things. Pressing a finger back into Hinata, Kageyama set up an easy rhythm. When Hinata’s eyes drooped and he started panting with need, Kageyama slid the masturbator down onto Hinata’s twitching length.

The effect was immediate. Hinata’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he let out a strangled cry. His hips desperately started working, wanting much more than the easy pace Kageyama was providing. So, Kageyama obliged.

Watching Hinata come undone over the hard pace of his thrusting finger and pumping hand, was enough to sustain Kageyama for life. Knowing they had two more days of this was something his mind could hardly wrap around. Surely this was already the pinnacle of his life.

Hinata’s body twisted this way and that, his face displaying a vast array of orgasmic looks. The sweetest and most erotic noises fell from his lips. His nails clawing their way down Kageyama’s arms felt like bliss.

If Kageyama’s body hadn’t been so worn out already, he likely would have cum untouched when Hinata cried out his completion. Kageyama was careful not to overstimulate, and slowed the pace quickly, giving Hinata just enough time to ride out his pleasure, but nothing further. He oh-so-gently slid his finger out, and set the masturbator to the side.

When Kageyama pulled Hinata into his arms, there was no resistance. Hinata readily wrapped himself around Kageyama, purring with contentment. Kageyama had always heard that omegas purred, but this was the first time Hinata had ever done so.

“How are you feeling?” Kageyama kept his voice quiet and calm, dropping kisses along Hinata’s shoulder.

“Mmmm…” was the only response as Hinata curled in closer.

A few minutes later, Hinata fell asleep. Kageyama shuffled them around so he could lay on the floor with Hinata pillowed on top. A nap would serve them both well.

 

~*~

 

“But you enjoyed it!” Kageyama argued.

“If it’s so great, _you_ do it!” Hinata shot back, curling up tighter into the corner of their bed and glaring at the condom.

“ _You’re_ the one that has moved up to three fingers!”

“You first.”

“You really want me to go first at something?”

“Don’t turn it around like that!” Hinata threw a pillow at Kageyama. “You wouldn’t be pushing so hard if you were in _my_ shoes!”

“I’m not pushing! You feel better when we do this!”

It was the third day of Hinata’s heat. It would break soon, assuming Hinata’s body felt fully satisfied. Thus, Kageyama had pulled out a box of condoms, deciding it was the best way to accomplish that. Hinata was less than pleased with Kageyama’s idea.

“Why are you afraid?” Kageyama asked.

“Why am I afraid of an alpha in rut trying to shove his dick where it’s not supposed to go? What a mystery!”

“Do you think I’m going to hurt you?”

“What if you get carried away?”

“What if _you_ do? You’re in heat. It’s the same thing.”

Hinata stuck his nose in the air and refused to look at Kageyama. “I am _not_ going first, and you are _not_ going to bully me into it just because I’m an omega.”

Kageyama paced away, fuming in anger. He wasn’t trying to _force_ anything, he was just trying to break the heat. They were both exhausted. It had been a long three days, and Hinata needed something to end the cycle. The whole day, Hinata had been riding Kageyama’s fingers. It made no sense that he was panicking now.

Taking a deep breath, Kageyama ran his fingers through his hair and forced himself to calm down. He wasn’t thinking rationally because of the rut. Getting angry wouldn’t help anything, it would just cause Hinata to be more defensive.

Okay, so, perhaps having sex like that for the first time in a not so controlled environment was scary. Underneath everything, Hinata was still apprehensive around Kageyama’s alpha side. That had been proven time and time again. The only way that had been fixed in the past was allowing Hinata to make his own decisions.

 _Shit_. He _so_ did not want to do this. But. If it was the difference between Hinata’s fear or Hinata’s trust, Kageyama was willing to do a lot. This was small in the grand scheme of things.

Whirling around, Kageyama propped his hands on his hips and frowned at Hinata. “Is that what you really want?”

Hinata blinked at Kageyama, thrown. “What?”

Kageyama threw the condom onto the bed in front of Hinata. “Do you want me to be on bottom?”

Hinata gaped in shock for a full fifteen seconds. “Are you serious?!”

That only caused Kageyama to frown harder. “That’s what I’m asking you. Is that what you want?”

There was a slightly suspicious and assessing look in Hinata’s eyes. “Yes. I do.” He said it as a challenge, daring Kageyama to back down.

He didn’t.

Instead, he walked over, grabbed the lube, and tossed it in front of Hinata as well. “Where do you want me?”

Apparently too in shock to speak, Hinata pointed at the expanse of bed in front of him. Kageyama laid down, face up and stiff as a board, arms to his sides, and scowled at the ceiling. Hinata’s face appeared over him, and frowned disapprovingly.

“You don’t look sexy at all like that.”

“Dumbass. Just do what you want to do.”

Hinata rolled his eyes. “If I looked like that, would you still do it?”

Kageyama sighed, and some of the tension dropped from his shoulders. “No…” he muttered.

Pleased at winning the argument, Hinata wiggled his way in between Kageyama’s legs before leaning over and teasing Kageyama’s lips into a kiss. Hinata took his time, waiting on Kageyama to fully relax, and start enjoying things once more.

It was hard for Kageyama not to get lost to it. Hinata’s fingers trailing over Kageyama’s skin just happened to be one of the greatest feelings in the world. His body sought out more of that touch, and more of that skin. Kageyama’s hands couldn’t stay still. They roamed over every inch Hinata had to offer.

Kageyama’s mind was fuzzy with pleasure, his instincts were lost in the smell, feel, and taste of his bond mate. The sight of Hinata’s blown pupils, his eyes half lidded, his face slack with desire, was enough to send a warm rush of satisfaction through Kageyama. He—

“Fuck!” Kageyama bucked his hips at the feeling of something cold and slick pressed against a _very_ odd place.

Hinata bust into laughter. “You should have seen your face!”

“ _Warn_ a person before doing that, dumbass!”

“Why? _You_ didn’t.” Hinata looked very smug as he started massaging his finger against Kageyama’s exit, who squirmed in response.

“Feels weird…” he mumbled.

“I know!” Hinata looked annoyed and amused at the same time. “It’ll get better. Relaaax.”

Kageyama blew out his breath and tried to do just that. If Hinata was able to handle it, Kageyama could too. He could do this. He just needed to calm down, stop thinking ahead, and just focus on the parts that felt good. Or at least distract himself from—

“AH!”

Once more, Hinata giggled over Kageyama’s not-so-subtle reaction. “It’s just to the first knuckle, you baby.”

“Alphas are not made for this sort of—”

“Oh?” Hinata raised an eyebrow. “And I am, even though I’m just as much of a man as you are?”

“You liked it!” Kageyama realized he was still using that defense, but it seemed like a very legitimate defense.

“I’m sure you will, too.” Hinata smiled in a way that was so innocent looking, it bordered on being scary. Then he was pressing his finger in relentlessly.

Kageyama gritted his teeth and tried not to tense up. It felt weird. It was an odd invasion, and he could feel the press of the finger inside of him in great detail. He wasn’t at all sure he would enjoy this, but it wasn’t awful. He could do this. He could.

Hinata spent a lot of time and a lot of lube opening Kageyama up to more fingers. Hinata hummed happily to himself as he did so, completely ignoring his very interested erection. Though Kageyama appreciated the diligence, there was little to distract him from how it had started to burn where the fingers were stretching him.

“You look uncomfortable,” Hinata noted. “Am I doing it wrong?”

“No. There’s just nothing to distract me,” Kageyama gritted out. “It’s fine. Keep going.”

Hinata tilted his head as he considered Kageyama. It wasn’t long before the impulsive Hinata came to a decision. With a grin, he bent forward and took Kageyama’s cock into his mouth.

Kageyama almost lost his damn mind.

They hadn’t done that yet. Kageyama had tried, but Hinata had been far too self conscious. Apparently, being in control allowed Hinata to move past a lot of his inhibitions. If that were the case, Kageyama would happily let Hinata take control more often.

The feeling of Hinata’s mouth was indescribably good. Kageyama could barely keep still. It took every ounce of effort he had not to grab Hinata’s hair in both fists, and start thrusting away.

Hinata wasn’t particularly skillful at it, which Kageyama was grateful for. He wouldn’t have been able to handle anything more. Kageyama’s rut made everything so much better, and heightened all of his senses.

Kageyama could barely breathe.

Then suddenly, everything was gone, and Kageyama’s world tilted as he tried to adjust to it. He blinked rapidly, looking around for Hinata. “What…”

“You’re all ready!” Hinata chirped happily as he swiped spit off of his chin.

“Ready?”

The sound of the condom wrapper broke through Kageyama’s haze, and he remembered what was happening. He swallowed nervously as Hinata repositioned himself.

“Bend your knees,” Hinata instructed.

Slowly, Kageyama did so, pulling his legs up, and planting his feet on the mattress. He tried to control his breathing. He trusted Hinata. It would be fine.

“Hmm,” Hinata considered Kageyama’s lower half. “Needs to be up higher.”

“How much higher?”

In answer, Hinata took hold of Kageyama’s thighs, and bent the taller man in half. When Kageyama’s knees were nearly touching his chest, Hinata seemed satisfied. He grinned. “There! Hold your legs.”

“This is uncomfortable,” Kageyama complained, but took hold of his legs as instructed.

“Don’t be a baby.” Hinata lined himself up, and pressed forward the slightest amount, meeting resistance.

Kageyama grunted as he rapidly reconsidered what they were doing. Hinata was thicker. He wasn’t going to fit. Kageyama was not used to this. He wasn’t made to take such things like this. He was going to die!

“Hinata, wai—”

Just like that, Hinata breached the entrance and popped inside. Kageyama’s words cut off in a strangled noise. His muscles burned and apprehension settled cold in his stomach. It was too much. It was too big.

“Shh,” Hinata soothed, one hand lazily stroking at Kageyama’s surprisingly unflagging erection. “Relax.”

The more Hinata pressed further inside, the more Kageyama panicked. It wasn’t pain he was feeling, not exactly. It was just intense. It was overwhelming, and he didn’t know if he could handle the feeling of it. His nerve endings felt like they were going haywire.

“Hinata!” Kageyama choked out. “I can’t! Too much! I…”

The pushing stopped, and Hinata let Kageyama breathe and adjust to the intrusion. “Does it hurt?”

“It’s… It just…”

“Feels like a balloon filling up too big inside of you? Sending electricity _zoom_ through your whole body?”

That was… rather accurate. Kageyama nodded.

“That’s what it’s supposed to feel like. I should know.” Hinata gave Kageyama a _look_ for that. “It’ll get easier to handle. Don’t panic.”

If Hinata had felt that way over fingers, no wonder he was so suspicious of Kageyama recommending other body parts. Kageyama was reconsidering things himself. This was just too much. How did people do this on a regular basis?

With a single steady movement, Hinata seated himself fully inside Kageyama. Pre-cum dribbled from Kageyama’s cock as a litany of strange noises escaped his throat. It felt weird, being overwhelmed by sensation so intense he couldn’t tell the difference between pain and pleasure. Then adding to that the feeling of his seed being forced out of him little at a time…

“Too much!” Kageyama’s voice was small and strangled. His body twitched and twisted of its own accord.

Hinata hissed air through his teeth and winced. “So tight… Loosen up…”

“I can’t!”

Then Hinata’s face was hovering over Kageyama’s, hands on each cheek. “Shhh, it’s okay. It’s okay. Look at me.”

Kageyama blinked away the blurriness in his vision. He could tell that his eyelashes were wet. Hinata dropped small, soothing kisses along Kageyama’s face until the taller man finally stopped squirming.

“I’m going to pull out, okay?”

“Yeah.” Kageyama nodded rapidly.

They were both not expecting the moan that ripped out of Kageyama’s throat when Hinata moved. He was only halfway out, when he paused in shock, gaping at Kageyama’s blissed out face. After a long moment of internal debate, Hinata abruptly snapped his hips forward, and sank back into Kageyama’s tight body.

Kageyama’s eyes went wide, his fingers digging into Hinata’s flesh, the air punched from his body. Hinata was panting above him, but Kageyama could barely draw a breath. His mind was blanked in bright white pleasure.

Then Hinata did it again. He pulled out halfway before thrusting back in. That time, Kageyama’s head dug into the bed and his back arched. His cock bounced, another spurt of pre-cum escaping from him. He finally forced his lungs to take in air, but that only seemed to make things brighter, tighter, more intense.

“Ah! Please!” Not that Kageyama knew at all what he was begging for.

“Shit…” Hinata ducked his head down, and started a slow and even pace. He was entirely unable to keep his hips still. “Tobio… You feel… You feel sooo good…”

It felt like someone else was controlling Kageyama’s body. As if he were a puppet on strings being bounced around. He didn’t recognize the wanton person he’d become. He writhed in Hinata’s embrace, his eyes rolling in his head, his nails digging bright red lines into Hinata’s pale skin. His jaw ached with the need to bite.

When Hinata let out an animalistic sound and started pounding harder, Kageyama gave into impulse. Hinata’s forehead was drooped close to Kageyama’s shoulder. It was an easy move to turn, and sink teeth into that supple flesh.

Hinata shouted at the feeling of Kageyama’s teeth, and then abruptly returned the favor, latching onto the skin of Kageyama’s bicep. A hand found it’s way to Kageyama’s member a moment after that, and started pumping a brutal pace. Something between a keen and a growl built in Kageyama’s throat.

The sex was far too much. It was brain melting. Kageyama felt like he was on fire, and his skin felt electrified. Something tight and insistent built inside of him, creating so much pressure it felt like he would explode. His hips jerked, seeking something he didn’t understand. It caused bright jolts of sharp pleasure to lance through him whenever a spot inside of him received too much pressure.

Kageyama was fairly certain he was going to go insane.

Orgasm hit with a force he’d never experienced before. His vision whited out and his ears rang. His entire body shook with the force of it. Waves of pleasure rolled over him and poured out of him. Hinata kept going, heightening the sensation, causing more shocks of mind numbing pleasure, causing more desperate spurts of cum to paint their bodies.

When Hinata finally stopped moving, Kageyama went limp, his limbs splaying awkwardly around them. They were both breathing hard as they tried to regain a sense of reality again. Red smeared the side of Hinata’s slender neck, and it occurred to Kageyama that the taste of blood filled his mouth. He wanted to apologize, but words were something he wasn’t able to form just yet.

It was a long time before they moved, and when Hinata pulled out, it felt extraordinarily odd. They lay wrapped around each other for a while, dozing sporadically as they recovered. Hinata was the first to move, grabbing wipes to clean up the mess on themselves they hadn’t been able to touch previously.

When Hinata noticed Kageyama watching, he asked, “You okay?”

“Mm…” Kageyama affirmed.

Hinata grinned. “That felt amazing.”

Kageyama lazily brushed his fingers along Hinata’s cheek. “You’re still warm.”

A challenging little smirk pulled at Hinata’s lips. “Yeah? You think you got it in you to go another round?”

“Brat.”

Not long after that Hinata was on hands and knees, face pressed into the sheets, mouth open and forming a puddle of drool beneath him. Seeing his eyes dazed and gone, his body lunching with the movement, his fingers clawing at the sheets, was hands down the sexiest thing Kageyama had ever seen. Hinata handled the sex far better than Kageyama had, and as expected, it broke the heat cycle at last.

And though Kageyama was loath to admit it right away, he had rather enjoyed the feeling of Hinata sunk deep inside of him. About as much as he enjoyed being lost inside of Hinata.

After a shower, food, and a changing of the sheets, the two slept for the next twelve hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear You-Know-Who: The alpha was on bottom in the first sex scene. I hope you’re happy.
> 
> Honestly, I’m not used to writing couples who are competitive in the bedroom, so this has been an adventure. I hope you guys liked it. XD
> 
> You: Wait, isn't that toy Kageyama used called a Fleshlight?  
> Me: Actually, no. Fleshlight is a brand and it's a type of masturbator made to look like a flashlight. Masturbators come in all shapes and sizes. I actually figured they would use one that looked more like this: [link](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB19qvqQFXXXXaoXpXXq6xXFXXXC/Male-font-b-Clear-b-font-Silicone-Male-font-b-Masturbator-b-font-Sex-Doll-Vagina.jpg) So that's what I was thinking of while writing that scene, if you are curious. hehe
> 
> Maybe you: Why are they using condoms if they're virgins and Hinata can't get preggers?  
> Me: First off, you should _always_ use a condom during anal sex because there be poop up in there and you don't want that gettin' down inside the hole of your dick and starting up an infection. Not fun times. Also, you can get a staph infection inside your dick from having unprotected anal sex. Staph is everywhere. You have staph for life. Third, they did no kind of prep work like cleaning prior to having the sex. So poop is even _more_ likely. I didn't write about said poop because this is fanfiction, but believe you me, there will be streaks on the condom. Totally normal. If that happens to you, just throw the condom away and move on with your life. Shit happens.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Age of adulthood in Japan is 20, btw.
> 
> Warning: Feels ahead.

“I’m going to be turning twenty in December.”

The words hung in the air between the group. Tension was so high, one could feel it crawling along the skin and constricting the throat. A clock ticked from where it hung on the wall, the soft noise booming in the silence. Kageyama could hear when his fingers dug into the fabric of his pants.

Hinata sat beside Kageyama, the both of them sitting in seiza. Across the low table sat Kageyama’s parents. His mother was looking away from them, disappointed and indignant. His father was sending the full force of his outrage at the couple. Hinata quivered under the onslaught of angry alpha pheromones.

“It’s bad enough that you bonded with an omega _in_ _high school_ , the pinnacle of all the poor decisions you made throughout school. Now, you are sacrificing your _beloved_ sports career, your chance at college, and your _life_ for him. And for what? Fleeting feelings?”

This was supposed to be a long overdue greeting with his family. An official introduction prior to their impending marriage. Kageyama knew there would be pushback, but to hear his father so blatantly disparage them was infuriating.

His relationship with his parents had been shaky at best during high school. When he had mate bonded, it lead to something even worse. They were all busy people and rarely saw each other. That had helped keep arguments to a minimum and allowed Kageyama to believe that things would eventually recover.

Obviously, he was wrong.

“As you know from the contract,” Kageyama gritted out. “We are due to be married once we reach adulthood.”

His father scoffed. “That could have been tossed aside at any time! Yet you persist in this nonsense.”

“We plan to have a small ceremony in January.” Kageyama refused to back down or get dragged into an argument. There was no point in debating anything with his father. His response when cornered was that Kageyama should respect his parents and any alphas that are above him.

“And a male, no less!” His father turned a disgusted look on Hinata. “Are you purposefully spitting in the face of the Kageyama lineage by choosing a mate that cannot produce an heir?”

Hinata flinched. They hadn’t really talked about things like that. It seemed too early and presumptuous. Kageyama had always questioned his ability to raise children in the first place. Besides, it wasn’t like adopting was off the table. Adopting alpha children was common in alpha families like Kageyama’s. Anything to keep the lineage pure.

“We will discuss such topics later, after my job is more secure—”

“A job I had to pull strings to help you get!”

That wasn’t true. The Kageyama family name opened doors on its own. His father hadn’t lifted a finger, and had made it a point to mention that blatant inactivity in the past. Kageyama was being “taught a lesson” by having to do everything on his own, without the aid of family, to prove that he was making poor decisions.

“We raised you to be a proper member of society.” His mother’s voice was cold, her eyes just as icy.

His father continued. “Males partnering with males is something that betas with worthless family names and poor genetics do. Alphas who take omegas are admitting their own weakness to their body’s biology. You are a disgrace to this name!”

The table rattled under the force of Kageyama’s fists coming down on it. “Then I don’t _need_ your name!”

His mother looked scandalized. “You are not insinuating that you will take _his_ name!”

“What’s it to you? At least you’ll be rid of the shame of me!”

Kageyama’s entire frame was trembling. Pain poured out of him, but it was drown out by the sheer force of the combined rage pheromones in the room. It hurt to breathe. His chest felt so tight. Prickling and burning pressed at the back of his eyes, but he refused to cry. Not in front of his father. Never him.

“If that is your decision,” his father growled. “Then so be it! I will request the papers tonight. By week’s end, you will no longer be a part of this family.”

Kageyama stood abruptly, teeth grinding. There were things left in the house. Mementos of his childhood and previous accomplishments. Old clothes and books. Games and magazines. Worn out volleyball shoes. The thought of them made him sick. He both did and didn’t want to rush up the stairs to collect them.

But then… They would do nothing but remind him of this house. This house that had never properly been a home for him. It was a nothing but a building filled with expectations.

His head whipped over to a picture of his family. A formal, proper picture to be displayed in such a room. He stormed over to it, snatched it off the wall, and threw it to the floor. Hinata said something, but Kageyama could barely hear it past the rushing in his ears.

Vision bleeding red, he stomped his foot down, again and again, until the glass shattered enough to skew the picture into something unrecognizable. It seemed appropriate. It suited what they were to each other now.

Hinata’s hands on his arm doused the mind numbing flame of rage inside of him. He calmed enough to be able to make sense of the world again. Of course, that meant getting a clear view of the bitter disappointment on his parents’ faces.

“Not that you care,” Kageyama shouted, unable to control the strength of his voice. “But Hinata Shoyo would have been the most honorable person in this family. He would have been a blessing to this household of selfish alphas!”

Having nothing more to say, and unable to stay in the house a moment longer, Kageyama turned and left, one hand firmly on Hinata’s wrist. The house around him was oppressive. It was stifling. He couldn’t breathe. It felt like he was being crushed. He needed out. He needed out immediately.

Thoughts swirled through his head, none of them slowing long enough to make sense. He could barely see through them. So he just kept walking. One foot in front of the other, covering more ground, desperate to get as far away as possible.

“Kageyama!”

That wasn’t his surname anymore. He was disowned. That had been made very clear. He was nameless, rejected, unwanted, adrift—

“Oi! Tobio!”

The sound came from far away. His mind panicked over the name. Was that taken from him, too? Could he keep his given name? Did it matter?

“Tobio!”

Hinata’s face appeared before him suddenly, one hand cupping his cheek. He came to an abrupt stop, blinking at Hinata’s bright, concerned eyes. Wind ruffled the man’s bangs, setting Hinata into a state of continuous soft motion. It was beautiful.

“Hey…” Hinata whispered. “Where are we going?”

Kageyama looked around him. They were outside, and a long distance away from the house. He didn’t even remember taking off the house shoes, and putting his outdoor shoes back on. It took a while of looking around in deepening evening light to determine where they had ended up.

“Are you okay?” Though it was a question, it sounded like Hinata had already decided that Kageyama wasn’t okay at all.

To tell the truth, Kageyama wasn’t so sure himself. He felt numb and cold inside. “We should get to the station before it gets too late.”

The trip back was quiet, neither of them knowing what to say. Hinata made sure to always have some part of him in contact with Kageyama at all times — a shoulder, the back of his hand, brushing elbows, a finger tapping on Kageyama’s knee. It was a comfort Kageyama didn’t know that he needed. It kept him grounded on the long trip home.

They arrived at the apartment late, and immediately got ready for bed. The silence between them felt suddenly odd, heavy with the knowledge of what was left unsaid. Kageyama desperately needed to say something. He needed to apologize for the harsh words Hinata had had thrown at him by Kageyama’s parents.

But if Kageyama opened his mouth, he wasn’t sure what would fall out, or when it would stop.

Hinata entered their bedroom to find Kageyama staring blindly at the bed, an oppressive stillness in his body. With gentle movements, Hinata pulled them both onto the mattress, pressed Kageyama’s face into his chest, and ran soothing hands through Kageyama’s hair and down his back.

It took all of ten seconds before Kageyama broke. His arms wrapped around the only solid point left in the maelstrom of his life. He screamed, sobbed, and raged into the arms of his partner. Hinata held him through it all. There was no judgement or expectations from Hinata, just a deep understanding of what Kageyama needed to process his pain.

Hinata had always been like that. Even back in their freshman year when they were still learning about each other. Hinata understood. Despite all their differences, despite the world telling them how they could never be equals, they were so very much alike.

“I’ve got you,” Hinata whispered.

That horrible constriction around Kageyama’s lungs released a little at those words. Hinata was there. A warm, solid presence at his side. Something that Kageyama was quickly discovering he needed in order to keep his head above water, to feel safe, to be loved.

“Shoyo…” _I need you. I love you. Stay with me._

“I’m right here.”

Eventually, exhaustion overtook Kageyama, and he fell asleep.

 

~*~

 

“And in light of everything, I humbly request that you allow me to take the Hinata name when we marry.” Kageyama bowed low, his nose brushing the tabletop.

The Hinata family didn’t have a traditional Japanese room. They all sat at the table next to the kitchen. Bowing over it felt awkward, but Kageyama wasn’t about to show any kind of restraint in his politeness. Just because he was the only alpha in the room, didn’t mean that he was somehow better than them.

Kageyama was _not_ his father, his mother, or his entire family.

Ex-family.

It had been two weeks since the incident at the Kageyama household. Since then, they decided to discuss the unique change of plans for their marriage with Hinata’s family. The stunned silence at the table was expected. Kageyama wasn’t sure an alpha existed that had taken an omega’s name.

“You mean you’re gonna be my brother, too?” Hinata’s little sister, Natsu, sounded… excited.

Kageyama sat up some in surprise, turning to look at the bright, excitable face — much like her brother’s. “Ah… We would… have always been… siblings-in-law…”

“Yes,” Hinata cut in. “He’s gonna be your new big brother.”

She vibrated in happiness, and then flung herself at Kageyama to wrap the taller man into an exuberant hug. Kageyama had never done well with kids. They tended to dislike the permanent frown plastered onto his face. However, Hinata’s sister was different. She had been curious to meet and talk to Kageyama from day one.

Kageyama snuck a glance over at Hinata’s parents to judge their reactions. He couldn’t quite determine the look on Hinata’s father’s face, but at least it wasn’t angry or upset. His mother’s face, however, was stricken, tears welling in her eyes. Was she that upset over it? That hurt more than Kageyama had expected it to.

“Oh! I just— My poor darling!” Suddenly Hinata’s mother was rushing around the table to wrap him in a hug as well. To say that Kageyama was stunned was an understatement.

Hinata was grinning at Kageyama’s baffled face.

The father stood up, and made his way over to the pile of bodies. He placed a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder and smiled down at the younger man. “It would be an honor.” His voice was calm and pleasant, so unlike the men Kageyama had known in his childhood. “Welcome to the family, son.”

Something hot and wet trailed down Kageyama’s cheek. _Oh. I’m crying. How embarrassing._ Hinata twined their fingers together, the look on his face holding such depths of emotion.

“Thank you, sir.” The words came out a shaky whisper, barely heard over the constant stream of reassuring words coming from Hinata’s mother and the excited babble of Natsu.

_I do have a family. I don’t have to be alone._

They stayed up long into the night, talking about all manner of things — bonding over such insignificant topics. It was warm and relaxing and… _fun_. Natsu fell asleep on Kageyama’s shoulder and he didn’t have the heart to move her. They ended up spending the night, a pile of bodies that hadn’t even managed to change into pajamas, on top of a futon spread out on the living room floor.

An indulgent smile from Hinata’s mother. A soft chuckle from Hinata’s father. The quiet snoring of Hinata’s sister. The faint smell of dinner that still hung in the air of Hinata’s home.

In a few months time, they would belong to Kageyama as well.

Fumbling around under the blanket, Kageyama gripped Hinata’s hand and squeezed. Hinata hummed a response, sleep already pulling him under. It was nice, pleasant, comforting, and everything Kageyama had imagined a family should be.

He was h—

He was… so afraid to be happy.

 

~*~

 

“Oi! Hinata!” Tanaka drooped himself over Hinata’s shoulders. “How many times did you puke before the ceremony?”

Hinata blushed and spluttered, which sent Tanaka into peals of laughter.

Of course, Tobio was now a Hinata as well. May as well get used to referring to themselves by their given names from now on.

Yachi walked up and shooed Tanaka away before readjusting Shoyo’s kimono. Shoyo and Tobio both were wearing formal kimonos in varying shades of dark blues, greys, and blacks. It caused the orange hair on Shoyo’s head to stand out like a beacon.

The ceremony had been small and short — a quick visit to the temple. Afterwards they were gathered in a local restaurant with family and friends. Their caseworker had come to observe the wedding, but he was easily ignored.

Frankly, Tobio was surprised at the turnout. Shoyo had invited a long list of people, but most of them they only knew from their time playing volleyball in high school. Yet, a fair amount of them had shown up. There were even those that sent apologies for not being able to go, along with a wedding gift.

It felt nice, knowing so many people cared enough to give the couple their blessing. It was also nice to have family that were excited to dish out exuberant hugs before demanding pictures with the newly weds. There was a round of toasts and everyone had something nice to say.

It was all so very surreal.

Cameras flashed over and over as they posed for pictures. People walked up time and again to congratulate them. Everyone was smiling. Shoyo was vibrating with excitement, basking in the praise and goodwill of others.

Relief and dread clawed at the back of Tobio’s mind. Shoyo was safe. They were married now, so Shoyo couldn’t be taken away. However, that meant Shoyo had to learn the truth. The suggestion had to be removed.

Tobio knew that. He did. And he would remove it. Just…

“Hey!” Tobio looked down into Shoyo’s knowing eyes. “You remember the wedding gift Kenma gave us?”

Kenma didn’t have a lot of money to spare, so his gift had been visiting his family for a week after the wedding. Tobio had also taken some time off of work. They wouldn’t be able to travel anywhere for their honeymoon, but they would be able to spend some alone time together at the apartment.

“Whatever it is you’re worrying about,” Shoyo continued. “Wait until the end of the week, okay?” He beamed up at Tobio. “Your gift to me is to only think about right now, and be happy.”

“Yes.”

“Good!”

Shoyo lifted up onto his toes, so Tobio dutifully bent down and kissed him. It was hard not to smile at the bright look on Shoyo’s face.

“Thank you for pulling me from the shadows and into my place in the sun.” Tobio quoted his marriage vows in a soft voice.

Pink dusted Shoyo’s cheeks as his eyes became suspiciously bright. He rapidly blinked away the wetness, which stained his eyelashes, and made them stand out. Tobio watched it all with focused attention. Everything Shoyo did seemed so mesmerizing.

Tobio was long past debating if it was the bond mark, or pheromones, or divine will that caused such intense feelings in him. All he cared about was that he was in love with Shoyo — fully and undoubtedly.

“Thank you for shielding me from the storms.” Shoyo returned, face soft and aglow.

For tonight, Tobio would grant Shoyo’s wish. He would focus only on his husband, only on being happy. He would give Shoyo a perfect night and a relaxing day tomorrow. They would spend that time in each other's arms, enjoying one another, and the love they had for each other.

And then…

“I need a picture with the newlyweds as well!”

“Me too!”

Tobio dutifully turned to the cameras, and made room around him for those finding a place inside the viewfinder. Shoyo’s fingers threaded through his own. They smiled.

“Everyone say ‘Congratulations!’”

“Congratulations!”

“We wish you happiness forever!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When it occurred to me how far away Kageyama’s house and Tokyo was in the middle of writing the scene, I was like “Crap… It’s gonna take forever for them to get home. Maybe they can take the train to the bullet train? They’ll just get back late!” So that’s how that worked. XD Geographical errors~!
> 
> Weddings in Japan are kinda build-your-own style, and can be fairly quick. Wedding gifts are typically money, and it’s tradition for each person to drop somewhere around $300. I debated for a while on the couple having a “white wedding” which is European style with a chapel and suits, or a traditional wedding in kimonos with a quick visit to a Shinto temple. I went with the latter and a simple after party.
> 
> Kageyama means “Shadow Mountain” and Hinata means “place in the sun” so that’s the reference Tobio made in his vows. “We wish you happiness forever!” is a common phrase at Japanese weddings according to google. I rather liked the phrase, so I added it.
> 
> Also switching from surnames to given names is hard. >.< Gah. But now that they have the same name, I kinda have to. lol But I am totes not going to try and put the accent marks on Shoyo’s name, so that’s just how it’s gonna be spelled. ^.^’


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun DUN

Tobio was a coward. It had been three days since the wedding, and still he had not removed the suggestion. Shoyo had been so content just lazing around, cuddling, and having sex. It was a peaceful few days and Tobio convinced himself that it was worth waiting for. A bright spot of happiness before the impending doom.

Soon, work would start again. Tobio didn’t have that much time left. He resolved to do what needed to be done that night, but once more lost his nerve. Wrapped in Shoyo’s arms with that bright smile and sleepy eyes turned up at him… How could he do it?

So, like a coward, he waited. Then, as Shoyo slept, Tobio released the suggestion. It seemed like a decent idea, letting Shoyo wake up in the morning to process things slowly, and allow Tobio one more night. Yet the later into the night it got, the less Tobio found himself able to sleep.

What if Shoyo didn’t want to see Tobio? Especially not that close and immediately after waking up. Maybe it would be best if Shoyo woke up alone in order to deal with his righted memories. With that in mind, Tobio moved to the couch.

However, that wasn’t much better. His mind swirled with possible discussions and arguments. He kept thinking about what would be the right thing to say. He paced restlessly until he finally collapsed into a chair. At some point he dozed, but never for long.

When the first rays of morning light pierced the windows, Tobio’s mind went still, desperately listening for Shoyo’s movements. It was a long time before Shoyo rolled out of bed, and shuffled his way to the bathroom. He likely hadn’t had time to wake enough to realize what had happened.

Tobio sat curled in a chair, numb and unprepared. Dark circles under his eyes and hair a mess, he was the perfect image of guilt. He held his breath and waited.

The door to the bathroom very slowly slid back open. Shoyo’s soft footsteps seemed overly loud in the quiet morning air of the apartment. At last, Shoyo stumbled into view. He turned wide, stunned eyes on Tobio.

“What…”

Tobio looked away, unable to handle the desperate intensity of Shoyo’s eyes.

“What did you do?” Shoyo whispered in shock.

“I’m sorry…” Tobio’s voice was quiet and scratchy from lack of sleep.

“You’re… sorry…” Shoyo repeated. There was a moment of silence before Shoyo’s body tensed, his fists curling up tight, his teeth gritted against tears and anger. “You’re sorry?! That’s all you have to say?!”

“I only wanted to protect yo—”

“I didn’t ask for that!” Shoyo’s voice shook with outrage. “I didn’t ask for any _alpha_ to come charging in to protect me from the world!”

“I was supposed to just sit by?” Tobio couldn’t stop his voice from rising in return. “You were going to sacrifice yourself for nothing!”

“You _controlled_ me!” Shoyo shouted, tears trailing down his cheeks. “You _knew_ how I felt about that, so you did something ten times _worse_!”

Tobio flinched, and glared at the floor. “It was a dumb decision, alright? But I was afraid. I didn’t know what to do.”

“And it wasn’t your job to figure it out!”

“How can you say that?!” Tobio finally looked up. He was shaking and bile pressed at the back of his throat, but he ignored it. “After everything that’s happened, how can you say I should have just walked away?”

“Everything?” Shoyo threw his hands in the air. “What everything? This was all _you_!”

“NO!” Tobio tried to catch his breath. Why was that so hard to do? “All that suggestion did was change your memory of the past. It didn’t control your decisions in the future.”

“How many times did you use that on me?” Shoyo demanded.

“Only that one time — and once to help you sleep when coming off the meds. No other. Shoyo, I promise!”

But Shoyo just kept shaking his head like he didn’t believe it, looking everywhere but at Tobio.

“You could have walked away at any time. You could have decided that you really did hate me being an alpha… But you didn’t.” Tobio’s voice went soft. “Why didn’t you?”

“It was fake. Everything I believed for years is a lie.”

It hurt. It hurt like nothing Tobio had ever experienced to hear those words. “So you never felt anything?” His voice sounded odd to his own ears — haunted and stilted. “You control how the suggestion works in your own mind.” A person’s mind would take the suggestion and change it in a way that worked best for them. Tobio could never be 100% sure how a person’s mind processed a suggestion. “So that means it was all an act for you?”

“Don’t turn this around on me! Don’t act like you have any right to be hurt!”

“I’m asking a real question.”

“You started this lie! _Not_ me!”

“But _I’m_ actually in love with you!” Tobio shouted. It occurred to him belatedly that he was crying. He ignored it. He looked at Shoyo, desperately hoping that his feelings were still returned, that Shoyo hadn’t meant what Tobio had just heard. “It was only supposed to last a couple of months! I knew you would hate me eventually — everyone does. But you stayed, and I want to know _why_. Why didn’t you hate me? Why did you go through with the contract? Why did you marry me?”

Shoyo looked stricken and his mouth worked, but nothing came out. Tobio expected something angry, cruel, or dismissive, or maybe — just maybe — affirmation of Shoyo’s feelings in return. He received none of those things.

Instead, Shoyo turned away, the fight draining out of him completely. “I don’t think I can stay here…” he whispered.

Tobio’s chest felt like ice. His fingers were numb. “I understand.”

“I’m going to stay with my parents.” Defiance leaked into Shoyo’s voice.

“I’m not going to stop you.”

Shoyo took a deep, shaky breath, and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. “How am I supposed to trust anything you say? How do I know when you’re using your Talent or not? How do I know if my actions are my own?”

Tobio swallowed hard to clear his throat. He shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “It’s a useless Talent, Shoyo. I can never use it, and when I do, I only end up hurting others or myself or both. I can’t make you trust me, even with my ability. Your mind will assert itself to your reality eventually. I can’t forcibly change your morals or your beliefs. That’s not how people work. It’s called a ‘suggestion’ for a reason.”

“Convenient, that you’re the only person who can explain how it works.”

“Shoyo…” Tobio ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t ask my parents to teach it to me. I didn’t want the responsibility of it… I didn’t ask to be born an alpha in that kind of home.”

Tobio took a moment to recompose himself, trying so hard to get the words out without collapsing into a blubbering mess. He wanted to beg Shoyo to stay, but he didn’t have the right do so. “I didn’t mean for this to go so far. I just wanted to get you past the first exams, but things kept piling up, getting more complicated, and I became more and more terrified of losing you. I regret a lot of things that I did… but I don’t regret making sure you played in as many games as possible, or that you graduated, or that your family was able to be with you.”

Tobio sniffed and kept going. “And I don’t regret realizing that I’ve been in love with you since our first year in high school.”

A hiccup of a sob escaped Shoyo, but he immediately walked away. He could be heard in the other room, packing items into a bag. Tobio wondered how much was being taken away. Clothes enough to survive a few weeks, or enough important items to mean he didn’t want to come back.

Not that Tobio deserved for Shoyo to come back.

Not that Tobio had ever deserved Shoyo in the first place.

Tobio was still sitting in that chair, eyes distant, and lost in his own pain when Shoyo came back through, shouldering his bag. He paused for a moment and stared in silence. Tobio desperately tried to think of something else to say, but nothing came to mind. This had always been the inevitable conclusion.

Apparently, Shoyo had nothing he could think of to say either. After a long pause, Shoyo walked out the door. It latched behind him, the noise sounding so very final.

The quiet of the apartment was oppressive, the emptiness was suffocating. Tobio curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his head to try and escape the too loud silence. His frame shook hard enough that his bones hurt. It felt like he was dying.

Unbidden, an image of Shoyo popped into his mind. He was suspended in the air, almost floating, his hair dancing the the breeze made by the sudden jump. His whole body was tense and ready to swing his arm with all its might. That sunbeam of a face was bright with anticipation and happiness — the pure and simple joy of living in those few powerful seconds.

Tobio had seen that image so many times without fully appreciating it. Those moments were created by the complete trust Shoyo had in Tobio. Trust he had never rightfully earned, but Shoyo had given anyways.

Trust that was so thoroughly shattered.

 _You have no friends, no family, and no mate_ , he thought to himself. Perhaps that was what he deserved.

Taking a deep breath, Tobio began to sob.

 

~*~

 

“Must be nice being an alpha, getting days off to fuck and get married just to fuck again when you haven’t even been at a company for a year.”

“Nah, must be nice being the _omega_ , where you to stay home all day mooching off of horny alphas and having sex all the time.”

Tobio ignored it. Misinformed words from misinformed people. They could easily look up company guidelines. There were consequences to using so many days so soon, even for an alpha.

“I heard a rumor that the Kageyama family never marries omegas and they kicked him out.”

“I heard he changed his surname! He’s just keeping it at work for appearances.”

“Oh, shut up. That’s stupid. An alpha would never do that. They’re too full of themselves.”

Tobio ignored it. He had in fact kept the name Kageyama at work. It was easier and raised less questions. That didn’t make his public records any less easy to look up if someone wanted to. He didn’t care if they did, but he cared that they wanted to rumor about it rather than work.

“He always looks so grouchy. For a newlywed alpha, you’d think he’d be getting enough ass to keep him happy.”

“Maybe he’s insatiable.”

“Maybe his blushing bride doesn’t know how to fuck. Picky alphas…”

“Nah, man. He married an omega! They’re nothing _but_ sexually experienced, ya know?”

Tobio, with great strength of will, ignored it. He was starting to hate his job. Nothing but coworkers running their mouths just loud enough to try and provoke him. Because he was an alpha, and alphas were known for losing their temper. Because he was an alpha, and they were jealous of that. Because he was an alpha, with a dream omega waiting at home.

Except that wasn’t true.

It had been a month since Shoyo left, but Tobio had heard nothing from the man. That wasn’t to say he didn’t have news. In fact, Shoyo had spoken to a fair amount of people during his time away about all manner of things. Yachi called Tobio on a regular basis with updates.

“I thought you hated me,” Tobio had asked once.

“No! No, I never hated you…” Yachi’s voice was upset and soothing all at once. “I know you care about Hinata. I do. It just wasn’t the right way to go about things. He has every reason to be upset.”

“I’m aware.”

“The two of you just need some time to reevaluate, that’s all.”

“You really think this is something he’ll forgive me for? He doesn’t even like me… And he never actually loved me…”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

Tobio’s heart clenched painfully at the words. “It was all fake for him. He just wants to get over it now and move on.”

Yachi sighed. “You guys really need to sit down and talk about this.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine. When was the last time the two of you spent this much time apart?”

Middle school. Truly, the two of them had been together ever since then. Even during their fights when they hadn’t spoken to each other, they had still been in each other’s sight. There had still been proximity. Not this massive distance between them along with utter silence.

“Listen,” Yachi said. “What alpha would walk away from something he lives for just because he doesn’t agree with the unfair treatment of an omega? What alpha would carefully pick all of his words just to make sure he’s not giving an omega an order? What alpha would let their bond mate walk away without any resistance? What alpha would walk away from their family because of common bigotry? What alpha would take an omega’s name?”

“And it wasn’t enough…” Tobio choked out.

“I don’t believe that. And I don’t think Hinata believes that either.”

Of course, that assumed that any amount of actions Tobio made would somehow undo his biggest regret.

And even though he regretted it, even though it had hurt Shoyo so much, Tobio wasn’t sure if given a second chance he would have done anything different. Now more than ever, the thought of someone trying to lock Shoyo away filled Tobio with insurmountable panic.

Kenma, oddly enough, helped keep Tobio calm. Once again, Tobio was confused as to why Shoyo’s friend wasn’t angry and kicking Tobio to the curb. Not that Tobio would know if Kenma was angry. He rarely showed his thoughts on his face.

“In Shoyo’s first year of high school, we became friends.” Kenma had suddenly started talking on a night that they shared the table for dinner. “He would text me a lot, mostly about volleyball. It was easy to tell what was on his mind the most because that would be the thing he always mentioned first.

“At some point, the first text stopped being about the upcoming game, or what move he was trying to perfect. It was about you. Sometime after our first training camp, you were always mentioned in the first text he sent me.”

“Shoyo has always hated alphas.” Tobio stared at his food, what little appetite he had diminishing further.

“Shoyo was taught to fear alphas.”

Was there a difference? Did it matter? Whatever Shoyo had thought of Tobio in the past, that was ruined now. He had made certain of that.

The nights were the worst. All of his alpha instincts screamed for his omega. Not having his bond mate near him was a physical ache that never abated. It felt like it would eventually drive him insane.

The reason bond mates weren’t allowed to be separated… was this why? Was it because alphas couldn’t physically handle being away from their omegas? Or was this something else? Perhaps being in love and losing that of his own doing caused all of his symptoms.

It had been addictive, having Shoyo’s affection for so long. Perhaps he was going through withdrawals.

The later into the month it got, the more Tobio wondered if he _should_ try to contact Shoyo to talk about things. Though it was true that Shoyo had been silent, so had Tobio. Even if they ended up separated for good, that didn’t mean that things should be left unsaid. If anything, Shoyo had the right to say what he needed to about Tobio’s actions.

Tobio discussed this with Kenma, who agreed with the idea. However, Kenma had also slid across the table a small notebook of information. Dangerous and illegal information.

“There are multiple groups helping to move male omegas out of the country,” Kenma spoke softly as Tobio turned the pages. “If Shoyo doesn’t want stay together, or doesn’t want to keep up the act, it may be safer for him to leave.”

“What about his family?”

“They help to relocate families as well. You should talk to the Hinatas about it.”

“Have you mentioned this to Shoyo?”

“Yes. He won’t talk about it, though.”

That seemed very much like Shoyo, to pretend like such eventualities wouldn’t happen, so he didn’t need to discuss it. Tobio sighed and started making mental notes of the cities closest that had activist groups ready help. There was also a list of dates and times.

“Are these dates…”

“They have different ways of transporting people, but the timeframes are small. I wrote them down,” Kenma confirmed.

“How do you know so much about these groups?”

Kenma shrugged and looked away. “I joined them in college.”

Tobio looked up in surprise. “What?”

“Well…” Kenma scratched the back of his head nervously. “See… Shoyo is my friend… When I found out what you two were doing in order to keep him away from the government, I was worried.”

“About the government, or about me?”

“Both.” Kenma sighed and dropped his hands into his lap, staring at his fingers as they fidgeted. “If I needed to get Shoyo away from you, I planned to do so.”

“How long has he known about this?”

“Since you moved in.”

Tobio thumbed over the dates and considered that. “Why didn’t he leave? Why doesn’t he want to leave now?”

“That’s why you need to talk to him. He needs to make a decision as to what he’s going to do. The longer he waits, the more dangerous it is for him.”

There was a long silence between them before Kageyama said softly, “Thank you.”

Kenma released a heavier sigh. “You’re not a bad person, Tobio. You’re just not very forward thinking.”

Well, Tobio couldn’t argue that, so he didn’t bother to try. Kenma was trusting Tobio with a lot of incriminating information. That meant a lot to Tobio, but it also baffled him. What had he done to earn Kenma’s trust? Or was it just that Kenma thought that Tobio could convince Shoyo to leave?

After all, once Hinata was out of the country, there was nothing Tobio could ever do to the man again. Or any of them, really. If all of Hinata’s family left as well…

Tobio would truly be alone.

 

~*~

 

“I’m coming!” Tobio jogged to the door to answer the brisk, but demanding knock. He hadn’t even been home that long. It was a Saturday, but he’d spent a half day at the office, mostly because he couldn’t stand the silence of the apartment and his empty bed.

Opening the door made Tobio wish he’d stayed longer at work. Their caseworker, Kousuke Houji, stood outside, his cool and disapproving look still plastered to his face.

“I wasn’t expecting you.” Tobio’s voice was flat and unamused. They shouldn’t even _have_ a caseworker anymore. The marriage was done. It was over with.

“ _Hinata_ Tobio,” Kousuke sneered the name. “We have some things to discuss. May I come in?”

Tobio wanted to say no, but declining would likely not work in their favor. As much as he hated pandering to the government, pissing them off wasn’t a good idea. So, he stepped back from the door and waved the man inside. Tobio’s face was set in stone, but he couldn’t bring himself to try and act cordial.

They settled at the table, and Kousuke pulled out a tablet, opening a file, presumably the one containing their information. The man looked even more annoyed than usual. Tobio worried about such a reaction, but tried to stay calm. He could handle this.

“I notice your omega is not here,” Kousuke pointed out the obvious. Was he expecting to be served tea? Tobio refused to even attempt to offer any.

“He is visiting his family at the moment.”

“Visiting…” Kousuke gave Tobio a hard look. “Under the assumption that he shall return?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Tobio’s heart was beating faster and he desperately tried to control his emotions. He was no longer on suppressants. It would be easier to give himself away now.

“There are a lot of _whys_ I wish to ask. For example, why you seem so unaffected by your bond mate’s distance.”

“I am affected, but I have more control than that. A little time with his family when he has nothing to do here is hardly a threat to my ability to function.”

“Newlyweds tend not to stray so far from one another.”

“I wouldn’t call a train ride away all that far,” Tobio shot back.

“Do you often give in to the demands of your omega?”

Tobio narrowed his eyes. “We don’t demand anything of each other. We discuss things like rational adults.”

“Rational? I see… And how rational were you when you decided to abandon your family and renounce their name?”

Anger flared through Tobio’s veins in an instant. He knew that it flooded out of him and Kousuke would notice. Tobio wasn’t sure how that would end up affecting things, but he plowed on as best he could, keeping his voice in check. “I could not renounce my bond mate. My father did not take kindly to that.”

“Is that so?” Kousuke tapped something into his tablet. “So your omega held more influence over you than your alpha family?”

Tobio didn’t like how that question was phrased. He tried to think of a way around it. “I have a responsibility to the omega I bonded with.”

“Of your own choosing, since you seem so against the omega being given proper medical attention.”

Tobio clenched his fists hard enough for this nails to bite into skin. “I was under the impression that you wish to take away my husband indefinitely.”

“What we _wish_ is the safety of all Japanese people. You seemed to have had a resistance to male omega pheromones previously, but that has either changed, or you were never fully in control. The omega is dictating your actions even now, and you have no awareness of it.”

Fury and fear warred inside of Tobio. He felt sick. What did this man plan to do? “The only one seeking to control my actions currently is you.” A growl slipped into his voice, despite his best efforts to stop it.

“Aggression towards an alpha of higher authority, aggression towards a government official, warped reality, bending to the will of an omega despite your own beliefs and values, isolation from friends and family, giving full monetary support to your omega without said omega being a contributing part of your household, losing your ability to control your emotions, instant defensive reaction towards anyone showing you the truth…”

Kousuke leaned forward as he ticked them off, his eyes locking with Tobio’s, demanding that Tobio lower his to show deference. “These are very concerning symptoms. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Tobio stood abruptly, his body trembling with effort to contain his reactions. His vision was tunneling and his ears were ringing. He just hoped his voice was steadier than the rest of him. “We are no longer the concern of the government.”

“Any uncontained male omega seeking to control and manipulate multiple people is the concern of the government.” Kousuke stated, his voice dark and his body controlled as he slowly stood.

“Shoyo isn’t trying to control anyone!”

“Even _if_ the omega is doing so unconsciously, it is still a threat, particularly in your case. A Talent alpha, especially one of your specific lineage, would be a threat if compromised and irrational. Would you not agree?”

“I am fully in control of my own mind!”

“I see you believe that.” Kousuke gathered up his things with purposeful calm. “I fear this case is beyond my control. I will be escalating it to my superiors. Please make sure your omega is contained within your home in time for the next inspection.”

Kousuke left and Tobio didn’t see the man to the door. He stood where he was, fists clenched and shaking at his sides, his face screwed up in helpless frustration. They were supposed to be safe! If Shoyo still wasn’t safe, then what had everything been for? And what more could they do?

Tobio’s mind was a maelstrom of panic. He couldn’t think through it. His breath started coming in quick busts, his stomach flipping with nausea. What was he supposed to do? What was the next step? What was the right thing to say to the next official at his doorstep?

Would they even wait that long? Or would they seek out Shoyo immediately?

The notebook. Tobio’s mind locked onto the notebook Kenma had given him. Shoyo needed to be out of the country as soon as possible. Tobio moved to run and retrieve it, but his limbs failed him. He ended up crashing to the floor along with the chair that had still been behind him. The world spun and he swallowed back bile. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t breathe. His chest was so tight.

How long would he just stay there, unmoving? Until it was too late? Until he died? It felt like he was dying already. Why couldn’t he stand up? Why was he so shaky? Why wouldn’t images of Shoyo imprisoned and experimented on leave his mind?

“Tobio?”

Looking up, he found the blurry and concerned face of Kenma.

“What happened?” Kenma asked.

When had Kenma come back? Had he already been in the apartment? Tobio couldn’t remember. His mind didn’t work anymore.

Kenma started shaking Tobio’s shoulder. “Talk to me! What happened? You need to tell me.”

“They’re going to take him,” Tobio’s voice was rough and breathless. “They think he’s a threat.”

“We need to move now.” Kenma’s voice was soft as it ever was, but there was an undercurrent of intensity. “You need to get to him before they do.”

Tobio nodded rapidly. Yes. He needed to get to Shoyo first. He couldn’t just sit there and panic and do nothing.

“Pack everything that’s important. I’ll start making calls. We need to get you on the bullet train tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, everything that happened can't be resolved in the space of a single conversation, but alas, these boys are stubborn when it comes to talking about their feelings.
> 
> I wanted to take a moment to show some of the gender biases in this world during this chapter. Thus Tobio's job and the people he worked with. I didn't end up putting a lot of full scenes in concerning that because it seemed like unnecessary filler. So I just did a quick recap. XD
> 
> And then _more_ drama! Things are gonna get exciting. Hold on to your butts!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold onto your pants!

Night fell early in late February, making it cold and dark by the time Tobio arrived in Shoyo’s hometown. He ran to the Hinata household, weighed down by his heavy coat and the bag slung over his shoulders. His breath fogged the air as he went, illuminated by the streetlights.

They didn’t have much time. He needed to get to Shoyo before the government went looking on their own. Tobio didn’t trust that they would wait until Shoyo traveled back to Tokyo.

That mistrust turned out to be well founded.

Parked in front of the Hinata home was an unmarked black car. Tobio slowed his pace, advancing on it quietly. Nobody was in the car. All the lights in the house were still on, so Tobio carefully made his way to the front gate. He entered as quietly as he could, not wanting to draw attention to his presence.

Maybe he could sneak around to the back of the house, or try to peak in the windows to assess what was happening. Every hair on his body stood on end as he carefully walked forward. He expected at any time for the front door to burst open and catch him in the act.

Suddenly, the silence of the night was broken. What sounded like multiple things crashing and tumbling around upstairs echoed into the yard, muffled by the walls. Raised voices came from near the entryway. Tobio’s stomach dropped. He wasn’t sure what to do. Would entering now help or harm the situation?

Then Shoyo screamed and Tobio no longer needed to make a decision. He dropped his bag and ran for the front door, slamming it open, and barreling into the house. There was a agent in a black suit that had Shoyo’s father pressed up against a wall. In the corner, Shoyo’s mother was crying, her arms wrapped protectively around a thrashing Natsu.

“Stay back!” The agent barked, but Tobio didn’t slow down. He used his momentum to send them all crashing to the floor.

The agent grappled to get the upper hand, and he was trained to do so, but Tobio didn’t leave that to chance. The first instant he was able to acquire eye contact, he threw every bit of force he had in himself into his voice.

“ **Stop**!”

The man went limp.

“Do not move.”

The agent nodded and babbled to himself as his mind tried to reason why that was the best thing to do. Tobio ignored it. He jumped to his feet and ran for the stairs. By the time he got to the first step, Shoyo was already halfway down. Upon seeing Tobio, Shoyo jumped the rest of the way, and landed on Tobio with force.

Tobio stumbled back a few steps, but wrapped Shoyo tight in his arms regardless. Those small muscled arms clung like a vice in return, nearly squeezing the breath from Tobio. Having his bond mate, his husband, in his arms again… it was indescribable. His entire body sang with the joy of it.

The moment was broken by the loud stumbling of another agent all but falling down the steps after them. Tobio swung Shoyo behind him, and squared off with the new threat. The other man wasn’t much competition, however. He looked injured and sick. Tobio easily shoved the man into the wall, and subdued him with a quick burst of Talent.

Turning around, he found the Hinata’s all gathered around Shoyo, making sure he was alright. Tobio cleared his throat. “Is there anyone else in the house?”

“No,” Shoyo’s mother shook her head, one hand wiping tears off her cheek. “There were only two agents.”

“Why are they here?” Shoyo turned around, eyes wide with confusion and fear.

“They’ve decided that you’re a threat.” Tobio was known for his bluntness, and he didn’t hold back then either. “They came to verify that you weren’t at the apartment, and asked a bunch of bullshit questions so they could diagnose me as mentally compromised.”

Shoyo looked back at his family, his body gaining a fine tremble. Tobio gave them a moment to come to terms with that. He looked back over at the agent that had been upstairs. The man’s wrist was swelling and even through the suggestion, he was leaning to one side in pain. It also looked like he’d received a hard right hook to the face. Occasionally, he made retching noises, but thankfully didn’t throw up.

They likely thought that subduing a single small omega would be a quick and easy job. They obviously had no clue who Shoyo actually was.

“What do we do?” Shoyo’s voice was small and pained.

“Kenma said he talked to you about his plan.” Tobio turned around to face the family once more. He purposefully kept his eyes averted from theirs at all times.

“He did…” Shoyo sounded massively unhappy. “I don’t—”

“We have to get you out of the country,” Tobio interrupted. “There is no guarantee that you will be protected here. The activists can help your family get out in the future, but _you_ need to leave _now_.”

Shoyo tried to argue, but his mother interrupted. “Honey, he’s right. I can’t bear to think about what might happen from now on. Things are only getting worse.”

“What about you?!” Shoyo demanded, tears pooling in his eyes.

She placed her hands on either side of his face, her eyes shining with such love and affection. “My precious little boy,” she whispered. “You are perfect, and you have been since the day you were born. You deserve a life where everyone knows that. I would change the world if I could, but all I can do now is try and keep you safe.”

Shoyo dove into his mother’s arms and she held him tight. Natsu joined them, openly crying over the danger her brother was currently in. Shoyo’s father walked over and dropped a hand on Tobio’s shoulder.

“Son, it’s not just Shoyo that needs to leave the country.”

Tobio tensed, his mind finally catching up to his actions now that things were calmer.

“Using a Talent on a government official is a lifetime prison sentence.”

Not that Tobio needed to be told that. He knew. He knew with absolute clarity. His eyes slid over to the agents who were still in trance. The sight of it now made him nauseous. Even if there was the slightest hope of him getting out of this situation, it would only be through pull from the Kageyama family.

A family he no longer had.

It was suddenly hard to breathe.

“Tobio…” Shoyo whispered in shock.

Shaking his head to clear it, Tobio swallowed back the bile creeping up his throat, and spoke. “There’s a boat in two day’s time. We need to get you on it. Kenma has someone coming to meet us with a car so we can make it to the coast. The next option is weeks out, so we can’t miss this one. We need to go as soon as possible.”

“I can’t just leave my family here! They’ll get in trouble for aiding and abetting!”

“Not if they don’t remember…” Tobio offered quietly. It was a risk, and likely not one any of them wanted to take, but it was the only thing he could think of to keep everyone safe. “I can set a time limit on it, but for now, it’s the best option we have.”

The silence was profound as everyone considered that. Tobio kept his eyes locked on the floor. This cursed Talent he had brought nothing but trouble, and there he was offering to use it yet again. Maybe it was a stupid idea. Maybe he never should have said anything…

“I trust you,” Shoyo’s father stated.

Tobio looked up in shock before remembering himself and quickly averting his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“Dad!”

“My Shoyo,” the older man pulled his son into a hug. “As a parent, your safety is paramount to me. We can follow you, but for right now, this is the best plan. Kenma has worked hard to put this together. Don’t let that go to waste.”

As the family discussed it further, Tobio took care of the agents. They were due to report back as soon as possible, but Tobio planted in their minds the decision to make their report in the morning. Pushing it any further would have them break out of the suggestion randomly and he didn’t want to risk how soon that might happen. He tried to buy a little extra time by telling them to sleep in. After that, their report would be that Hinata Shoyo was not at his home and his family did not know of his whereabouts. They searched the area to no avail.

A few moments later, Tobio had them out the door and driving away. He grabbed the bag he had dropped that was still sitting on the lawn. The cold night air was still and quiet around him, a stark contrast to how upended his life had suddenly become.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he made his way back to the rest of the group.

“Grab anything you feel you can’t go without, but travel as light as possible,” Shoyo’s mother was saying.

“I packed clothes for you in here.” Tobio handed the bag over. “Check the items in there as well. Oh, and turn off your phone. We’ll keep them in case of emergency, but they’ll track it if they’re on.”

Shoyo just nodded and took hold of the bag. After a pause, he said, “Don’t do anything until I’m back.”

“I promise.”

The moment Shoyo was out of sight, Natsu launched herself into Tobio’s arms. Tobio hugged her weakly in return, shocked at the sudden action. Frankly, he was still shocked by all of the family’s reaction to him. Didn’t they hate him for what he’d done?

“I just _got_ another brother and now I’m losing _both_!” Natsu wailed.

It was painful to hear himself still referred to as family. Tobio squeezed his eyes shut and hugged her tighter, which she returned. Shoyo’s mother walked over to wrap her arms around the both of them.

When they all finally pulled back, Shoyo’s mother took hold of his hands. “My boy is stubborn, but he has grown a lot these past years. From now on, no matter how big the fight, _talk_ about things. It will work out in the end. Alright?”

She was forgiving him. She forgave what Tobio had done because it had saved Shoyo’s life in the end. Or was it just to guilt him into avoiding it in the future? Tobio teared up, but was unable to speak. He nodded solemnly in return.

He wished he had never been born with this power.

Shoyo clattered back down the stairs, carrying his coat and the now overstuffed bag. There were more hugs and tears and promises shared amongst the family. Tobio was dragged into some of it himself, despite how much he felt like he didn’t deserve it.

At last, it was time for Tobio to use his power. He let them all believe that Shoyo had been taken by the agents and that they had managed to do nothing about it. Tobio had never shown up and they hadn’t heard from him and couldn’t reach him. It would be a few months before the suggestion dropped, and hopefully that was enough time to get them through the upcoming interrogation that was bound to happen.

Shoyo stood silently through it all, watching at Tobio worked, and how each of his family members rationalized the information being set. Though Shoyo didn’t intervene, he finally had to look away when tears escaped his family’s dazed eyes. In the meantime, he put his coat and shoes on, ready to head out into the cold night.

Tobio wasted no time after the suggestion was set. They needed to leave before their awakened minds saw their son. Tobio took firm hold of Shoyo’s wrist and firmly marched them out the door. They didn’t speak for a long while, just walking determinately towards their next location.

Of course, it would be very unlike Shoyo to follow without comment the whole way. Before they reached their destination, Shoyo pulled his arm back, and brought them to a stop. Tobio stared at the ground, breathing hard, refusing to make eye contact.

“Tobio.”

His name on Shoyo’s lips after so long sounded like music. His whole chest ached with need, and his fingers tingled with their desire to touch. He forced himself to stand still, staring at the ground, waiting for words he knew was coming. Words of anger, rejection, and pain.

“Tobio, look at me.”

He shook his head stubbornly and muttered, “My Talent requires eye contact as well as you being able to hear me.”

Shoyo let out a frustrated sigh and was abruptly in Tobio’s space. Gripping the taller man’s face in his hands, he yanked Tobio’s head up and chased those dark eyes around until he could force eye contact. Tobio stared at Shoyo in a strange mixture of annoyance, confusion, and guilt.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Shoyo stated.

“Why not?” Tobio challenged.

“You’ve never given me a reason to be. How many times have you yelled at me without using your Talent?”

“I don’t _want_ to use my Talent!”

“I know.” It was a simple statement, pure and understanding. Tobio didn’t quite know how to take it.

“I thought you hated me.”

Shoyo looked embarrassed and angry all at once. He dropped his hands and looked at his feet as he scuffed them against the sidewalk. “I never hated you. I was mad.”

“You have every right to be mad.”

“I know.” Shoyo stuck his nose in the air. “You were an idiot.”

“I would do it again.”

Shoyo made eye contact once more, his face unreadable. He didn’t say anything, so Tobio continued.

“If it meant stopping you, I would do it again.”

“How about, instead of being a dick, you just do what normal people do and talk after the upset person is calmed down.”

“I don’t know how to talk!”

Shoyo snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. “Guess you’ll have to learn. It’s not that hard, you know.”

“Says you, the person who never shuts up.”

Shoyo was entirely unaffected by Tobio’s clipped words, and a smile tugged at his lips. “Come on, lead the way to the next location, since you’re the man with the plan.”

They started walking again in companionable silence. It didn’t take long to reach their next location, but it was time Tobio needed to process what had just happened. Was Shoyo really insinuating that all Tobio had to do back then was _talk_? That seemed absurd. Not to mention, when had he ever known the right thing to say?

That is… to anyone other than Shoyo, who had always seemed to understand Tobio when nobody else did. His mind whirled with the implications of that. He felt like the biggest idiot in the world.

“Oi! Hey there, troublemakers! I heard you need a ride.” A voice called out from the darkness ahead of them, a bright grinning figure stepping into the light of a streetlamp.

“Saeko Nee-san?!” They both chorused in shock.

Saeko grinned at them, and jerked her thumb at the car behind her. “Hop in, boys. I’ll get you two to the coast in no time flat!”

 

~*~

 

After the worst part of the trip was past and they were on a straightaway, Shoyo decided to ask questions that had likely been plaguing him for some time. “Are you part of the activists, too?”

“Well, I’m an activist in _general_.” Saeko shrugged. “In college I helped when I could for women’s rights and omega’s rights. When I heard our very own Little Giant was an omega, I thought I’d do my best to keep an eye on you.” She flashed a grin at Shoyo.

“Is that how you know Kenma?”

“Mm!” She shook her head. “Actually, he saw me at some of the rallies, but I never noticed him at all!” She laughed at that. Tobio found that unsurprising. Kenma was the opposite of Saeko when it came to presence.

“So how did you know to pick us up?”

“Well, that Kenma is resourceful. He ended up getting my information through the grapevine. He contacted me months ago with a plan in case you needed it. He keeps a close eye on the laws in debate, just in case.”

“Oh…” Shoyo seemed to be having a hard time processing all of that. “Why would Kenma work so hard just for me?”

“Not just for you!” Saeko grinned. “He’s pretty involved in the groups. I think he’s helped move others out of Tokyo in the past.”

Shoyo’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

Saeko nodded. “He doesn’t talk about it, but I have friends who tell me things.” She looked smug about her connections. “Besides, even if he weren’t involved, I know he’d work just as hard on a plan. You can tell Kenma cares a lot about his friends.”

Shoyo seemed surprised that Saeko could read Kenma so well when they didn’t really know each other. She eyed Shoyo out of the corner of her eye, and then laughed again. “He keeps things inside, that one, but if you know what to look for, he’s easy to read. I have a friend just like him!”

With a sigh, Shoyo leaned back in his seat, eyeing the road ahead of him in consternation. “I never wanted to leave Japan.”

“Well, the two of you worked hard to try and stop that from happening for as long as possible, but eventually the shit catches up with you.”

“Why do they hate me so much?” Shoyo asked quietly.

“People just don’t deal with change well. They push against it with all their might until they’re forced to accept it. And even then they complain!”

“I guess male omegas are really sudden…” Shoyo mumbled.

“Mmm,” Saeko had a knowing glint in her eyes. “According to the history books in school, maybe.” She smirked.

“What do you mean?” Shoyo immediately perked up.

“I mean, if you look, there’s a lot of references to female alphas and male omegas in history. We just decided to interpret that information however we wanted! It’s not nearly as big a deal in other countries, ya know.”

For the first time in a long time, Shoyo’s eyes shone with hope. “Really?”

“Really, really!” Saeko laughed. “Just think of this as a great opportunity to go back to being just an average everyday person! And a chance to work on your English!”

As Saeko laughed and Shoyo panicked about the English he hadn’t used in a while, Tobio stared out the window at the passing headlights. Frankly, he was just as guilty as others for assuming that male omegas were something so rare and unusual. He wasn’t so far removed from knowing other male omegas, and he had been on the forums where so many of them had come together to share information.

Not to mention, his own mother was a female alpha. He came from parents considered just as rare and unusual. Yet, gender kept his life simple, safe, and advantageous. It was unfair. It was also stupid of him to get so swept away in his own privilege as to think he could somehow shield Shoyo from the world.

At some point, Tobio’s spiraling thoughts dissolved into a fitful sleep. It was late and he was worn out both physically and emotionally. His dreams were fragmented and loud, not allowing him much in the way of a restorative nap, but it was better than nothing. He woke again at the feeling of the car slowing abruptly, followed by Saeko’s creative cursing.

“What’s going on?” He mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“They moved the road block. It was supposed to be further down.”

“Road block?”

“They have checkpoints set up near the coast looking for anyone transporting people that are trying to skip the country. That was supposed to be further down, but looks like they’re moving it randomly.”

“What do we do?”

“We’re gonna take an earlier exit and regroup.” Saeko jerked her thumb at the backseat as she slowly worked her way through traffic. “There should be a blanket in the back. Both of you need to get in the floor and cover up. We don’t wanna take any chances.”

Shoyo unbuckled and crawled between the front seats as Tobio searched for the blanket. They settled down into the floor, Tobio on bottom, and Shoyo laying on top. The blanket fluttered around them as it settled in place. Saeko reached back and threw a few random items on top of them to make it look more natural.

The weight of Shoyo on top of Tobio made his whole body hum with excitement. He had missed the feel of it so much. Having it back was euphoric. He did his best to keep his hands to himself, but it seemed he wasn’t the only one who was affected by having his mate so close. Shoyo took hold of Tobio’s arms and wrapped them around himself, curling in tighter against Tobio.

“Are you comfortable?”

Shoyo just hummed an affirmative as he settled down. The warmth, darkness, and quiet of the car was lulling enough as it was, but having Shoyo wrapped in his arms made it hard for Tobio’s body not to relax. Once more, they both dozed as Saeko maneuvered them off the crowded road.

They woke again when Saeko started making turns — thankfully not so death defying with them unbuckled — and slowly came to a stop. She parked the car and informed them not to move. They could hear people talking outside and the chirping noises of machines. Tobio guessed they had stopped for gas.

“Does it bother you?” The question exploded out of him before he could help it. He kept his voice a whisper, but internally he was screaming at himself.

“Does what bother me?” Shoyo mumbled sleepily.

“Being this close to me.”

Shoyo let out a rather annoyed sounding sigh. “I feel like I have the right to be the angriest at you, but I’m starting to think you hate yourself more than I ever have.”

Tobio wasn’t sure what to say to that. “You _should_ hate me.”

“I’m mad. I’ll probably still be mad for a while.” Shoyo shuffled around a tiny bit, searching for a new comfortable position. “I can’t believe you brought Yachi in on it.”

“That wasn’t my intention. I didn’t know she was there.”

“I know. She told me.” Shoyo was quiet for a moment as he thought about that. “She told me everything that happened when you did that thing to me the first time.”

“Hypnosis.”

“You said we were dating, but you never told me how to feel about that… Why?”

“That’s not how it works. Your mind has to rationalize what it needs to in order to fit how you think.”

“But you made the bite not hurt.”

“That was short term. Your mind reasserts itself the further out you get from the suggestion.”

“Before I left, you said that you thought I would hate you. Why?”

“I have no way of knowing how a person’s mind solidifies a suggestion. You hated alphas. You should have hated me.”

“I never _hated_ alphas.” Shoyo sighed. “And you were always very… _not_ alpha-ish.”

Tobio tensed. “What do you mean I don’t act like an alpha?”

Shoyo snickered a little. “You’re so offended.”

“Just because people never wanted to listen to me—”

“Not that.” Tobio could practically hear Shoyo rolling his eyes. “You were all _rawr_ and _grr_ but you were never _mean_.”

“Do you think alphas are mean?”

Shoyo shrugged. “Maybe not on purpose. But weren’t you taught that you own omegas?”

“Not exactly…” Tobio’s nose brushed against Shoyo’s hair and it took everything he had not to nuzzle his face into it. “I was taught that omegas controlled my instincts and I should avoid them. That I should find an alpha or a beta from a good family to keep the prestige and genetic culpability of my own family line.”

“Oh…” Shoyo’s fingers tightened a little from where they rested on Tobio’s arm. “Did you ever feel like I was controlling you?”

“A lot,” Tobio admitted.

“Didn’t you hate that?”

“I was always taught that my own will power as an alpha could overcome an omega’s influence. That if I didn’t, it meant that I wanted to be controlled. I don’t know how much of that is true and how much is just dumb gender role stigmas, but… Whatever it was you were doing to me… It made me happy.”

“You’re weird.” Shoyo’s voice lacked any strength to the statement. It was too soft and slightly choked sounding.

Before Tobio could question it, the car door opened. Saeko tossed some items into the passenger seat before climbing in. She mumbled at them to stay down as she started up the car and headed out.

They were forced back into silence and Tobio tightened his arms around where Shoyo lay against him, his thoughts a swirling mess. Giving into desire, Tobio dropped his face down to bury it into the wild poof of Shoyo’s hair. Shoyo didn’t seem to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the boys talked! <3 There will be more talking next chapter as well, along with more escape drama! I'm so excited for you guys to see this ending, zomg. @.@
> 
> I debated for a long time whether I wanted to switch POVs or not. I decided not to do a Shoyo chapter because I wanted to maintain Tobio's uncertainty and angst. If Tobio wants to know what Shoyo is thinking, he'll actually have to _talk_ about it. hehe
> 
> One of the hardest parts of writing this fic was maintaining their stubborn personalities, their inability to communicate well, and not using words I figure that they probably wouldn't know. lol It's not my usual writing style or characterization. Which is one of the reasons I really thought I'd end up writing Tsuki and/or Suga first. lol Oh well! Maybe next time. To maintain character personality consistently, I wrote this while marathoning all off the Haikyuu seasons. So here's to hoping it feels authentic!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kiiinda based this off of the area around Funagawa Port. I won’t name any place in particular since I’m entirely unfamiliar with Japan. lol But if you’d like an idea of the forrest/city/shoreline ratio I’m working with, you can take a look at satellite images on google maps of that area.

Saeko drove as far off road as the car would allow. She then went over the map with them as many times as she could. The sun was rising, but it did little to raise the temperature. It was going to be a cold hike.

“So basically, just keep going straight until you see the coastline. The docks should be visible that high up. Just head that direction.” Saeko’s finger trailed the line she had drawn for them to see. “You know where the meetup point is at?”

“Yes,” Tobio confirmed.

“Good. Then you’re all set.” She patted the bag of water and ready meals she had purchased from the store earlier. That would get them through the day.

“How long will it take us to get there?” Shoyo asked, having no idea how to judge distance to scale. Not that Tobio knew how to either.

Saeko shrugged. “Depends on the terrain and how fast you walk. You should be there before the sun goes down. You don’t want flashlights calling attention to you, so push as hard as you can this morning.”

The flashlights she purchased were stuffed in the bag. Tobio double checked them to make sure they had everything. Shoyo fidgeted in nervousness for a while before looking up at Saeko with watery eyes.

“Saeko Nee-san… I’ll never see you again!”

Saeko gave an indulgent laugh before pulling Shoyo into a rough but exuberant hug. “Don’t be like that! Maybe one day I’ll need to get my passport and travel a bit of the world.” She laughed and scruffed Shoyo’s hair as he nodded in agreement and sniffed.

She punched Tobio’s arm lightheartedly. “Take care of him out there.”

“Yes.”

In short order, they were walking away, Shoyo turning multiple times to wave at Saeko. When they were out of sight, the sound of the engine revving in the distanced echoed through the trees around them. The area was hilly with bulging rocks, thick brush, and a tangle of trees. This close to the shore, the wind was harsh even through so much foliage.

They didn’t talk much during the trek, putting most of their focus into where they were planting their feet. There wasn’t a proper walking path, so it was tough going, with them often having to climb up and over places via surrounding trees. At least the physical exertion kept them warm.

The sun was high when Shoyo finally asked to stop, pointing at a cluster of rocks that would hopefully be enough to protect them from the worst of the wind. They settled down, huddling close to each other as they opened up their meals. The silence didn’t last all that long, as Tobio expected.

“I talked to a lot of people about it, ya know. Especially Yachi.”

Tobio didn’t respond. He kept his eyes on the ground and just continued to eat. After all, what was there even to say?

“Did Yachi call you?”

“Yes.”

“More than once?”

“Yes.”

Shoyo had an unreadable look on his face as he paused to eat more. Perhaps he had wanted Yachi entirely on his side. But Yachi had always been on his side. Tobio attempted to explain that.

“In high school, Yachi told me often that I should end the suggestion and talk about things with you.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“You wouldn’t have run instead of talking to me?”

“That’s unfair!” Shoyo snapped.

“Is it? Isn’t that exactly what happened?”

“This is different than high school! We were just _dating_ in high school.” Shoyo threw his hands in the air. “We’re _married_ Tobio. That’s a big deal!”

“I get it! Alright? Getting married was supposed to keep you safe, and obviously that failed. I’m an idiot that can’t accomplish anything! I’m a failure as an alpha!”

“Tob—”

“But I meant my marriage vows!” Tobio continued his tirade, red faced and hands shaking. “I didn’t take that lightly! I was ready to devote my life to you, and I was _happy_ about that!”

Silence followed his speech, as oppressive and piercing as the cold air around them. Tobio was breathing hard, his breath fogging the air before him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push back against the sting of tears. The taste of food still lingered on his tongue, but now it made him nauseous.

“I know it’s unfair to ask,” Tobio continued, voice barely above a whisper. “I know it’s just another selfish request in a long line of selfish choices, but… Did you feel anything for me? Anything at all? Ever?”

Shoyo sighed and leaned back on his arms, staring up at the pale blue of the sky above them. “That’s what I talked to everyone about. I felt… violated. That you had forced me to feel something against my will.”

“That’s not how it wor—”

“I know. I know that _now_.” Shoyo scuffed his foot against the ground restlessly. “I didn’t want to believe that for a long time, though.”

“Because I’m an alpha?”

“Yes.” Shoyo shrugged one shoulder. “What was the point of trying to protect myself from alphas for so long, if I was just going to end up in a relationship with one?”

“Did you think about that in high school?”

“A lot. When I woke up that morning with my memory back, I was like ‘Ah, this is why. This is the reason it happened.’” Shoyo hunched forward, leaning his arms on his thighs. “I wanted to believe you were the evil alpha that had found a way to control me anyways.”

“And do you believe that?” Tobio couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“No. As much as I wanted it to work that way, it didn’t. I know you cared about me, and I know you still do.”

“You’re wrong.” Tobio stared at his fingers as they tightly gripped at themselves. “I cared about you before, but I’m in love with you now.”

There was another long stretch of silence before Shoyo responded, “I know.”

“And you?”

Shoyo sighed. “I wish I could say I had some moment in the past that determined everything for me, but it wasn’t like that. It was slow and it sucked me in before I had even noticed… Having the suggestion removed didn’t change anything because it never changed anything in the first place. It just made me see what I’ve been ignoring from day one.”

Abruptly, Shoyo stood up and stretched, his arms raised high above his head as he looked at the sky once more. “I thought I knew everything about alphas and how they worked. I was wrong. It was an unfair belief of a bunch of people I didn’t know. I lived with experiencing that my whole life as an omega, but I didn’t notice I was doing it to someone else.

“Then I met you, and even though I didn’t want to admit it, I never saw you as an alpha. I just saw you as a _person_. A teammate, a partner, a friend, a…” Shoyo dropped his arms and shrugged, doing his best to ignore the blush staining his cheeks. “A boyfriend.”

When Tobio stayed quiet, Shoyo walked over and stood in front of the still seated man. He propped his hands on his hips, as if challenging Tobio to say something in return. However, Tobio was far too gone in a swirl of emotions to have any idea of what to say. He just looked up at Shoyo, backlit by the bright winter light, coat fluttering in the cold gusts of wind, hair aflame against the backdrop of the sky.

Walking purposefully forward, Shoyo straddled and sat on Tobio’s lap, bringing their faces close to one another. Tobio could barely breathe. He was frozen to the spot. He desperately wanted to cling to Shoyo, but was afraid of doing so.

Gently, Shoyo framed Tobio’s face with his hands. “ _And no matter the adversity, inside or outside our home, I will weather it with you. I will stay by your side as long as you stay by mine, for we are stronger together, and together, we can overcome any wall._ ”

Shoyo was quoting his marriage vows, and it was almost too much for Tobio to bear. A sob broke past his lips, but Shoyo silenced it with a kiss. It was a kiss that broke Tobio’s paralysis, and he wrapped Shoyo tight in his arms. They spent a long moment suspended in time, limbs clinging desperately to each other, their mouths locked tight and tasting one another after so long apart.

When they finally broke for air, tears stained both their cheeks. Shoyo rested his forehead against Tobio’s as they shared breath. They took some time to recollect themselves as they basked in the combined warmth of their bodies.

“I’m still mad,” Shoyo whispered.

“Yes.”

“But I still love you. So I’m gonna love you while I’m mad at you and you’re just gonna have to deal with it.”

“Yes.”

“You’re gonna have to do a lot to make it up to me.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Then Shoyo’s lips were back on Tobio’s and the longer they stayed, the more that knot of painful loneliness and grief inside of Tobio relaxed. He would do anything to keep Shoyo happy. There was nothing too great that Tobio would not give.

Because Shoyo was the light Tobio needed in order to survive.

 

~*~

 

Traveling down the slope to get to the stip of city prior to the ocean was not an easy task. The trees were thinner and younger, bending easily under their weight when they tried to brace against them. The rocks would often scatter with a burst of dry dirt and sand. They both ended up scraped and bruised from the trek.

They were within sight of the city and the late afternoon light blinded them in gold rays, making it all the more difficult to determine their footing. Perhaps it was more difficult for Tobio since he was carrying the bag for the time being. Or maybe Shoyo was just that much more dexterous. Either way, Tobio was cursing almost non-stop as he tried to make his way down. Shoyo had to help balance Tobio almost constantly. It severely limited their pace and he was ashamed over it.

“It’s fine if it’s dark when we get to the city. We just have to get down this hill while there is still light. Take your time. Don’t rush it.” Shoyo lectured at Tobio for not taking enough time to find his footing.

Tobio looked above him where Shoyo held out a nervous arm, ready to catch Tobio at a moment’s notice. “We don’t have time to waste on me—”

That was all he got out before he was falling. His throat seized up in shock, unable to even take a breath to scream. The feeling of nothing under his feet sent a bolt of adrenaline through his body so suddenly it was painful. His hands were scrabbling at the rock before he could even register the movement.

In the next instant, he came to an abrupt stop, his shoulder wrenched painfully. Above him, Shoyo had his feet planted against the base of two different trees for extra support, his hands were holding onto Tobio’s wrist like a vice. Shoyo bent his body back to counterbalance.

It took a few precious seconds for Tobio’s mind to work again and realize he was dangling in midair, all his weight held by Shoyo. Tobio immediately started searching for new hand and footholds. The clatter of rocks and dead tree limbs sounded below him as they continued to tumble down the slope.

 _That could have been me_ , Tobio thought to himself in shock.

“You got it?” Shoyo asked when he felt most of Tobio’s weight alleviated.

“Yeah.” Tobio slowly took back his arm and rolled his shoulder out before searching for another place to hold onto. Shoyo made his way further down so he was closer to the apparently clumsy Tobio.

“I told you to slow down.” Shoyo tried to scold, but his voice held too much fear from their close call.

Tobio took a steadying breath. “You held me like it was nothing. How often were you working out?”

Shoyo blushed and rolled his eyes, but accepted the change of subject. “It was the only thing that burnt out all of my energy. I would kinda lose track of how many push-ups I was doing.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Shut up and focus on climbing. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Yes, yes.”

Thankfully, other than a few bruises and scrapes, they made it the rest of the way down without incident.

The darkening city streets helped to hide the worst of their dirty clothes and scraped up hands from sight. They made it to the city library without any trouble. The person sitting at the front desk eyed their appearance in surprise. Tobio walked towards her purposefully, Shoyo trailing closely behind.

“How may I help you?” she asked politely.

“We’re doing a report on holism. Can you direct us to the best reference books?”

Understanding flashed through her eyes, but she simply returned a professional smile. “Of course! Right this way.”

They followed her through the tall shelves packed with books that muted the room, and between the study tables set up, only a few in use. There was a tight staircase in the corner with decorative windows to help alleviate the cramped space. They traveled up past the second floor and onto a small landing set before an angled door that obviously lead into a storage/attic space.

She rapped on the door in a specific cadence, and they all waited in tense silence for the door to open. Locks sounded on the other end before it swung inward to reveal a new person, quickly waving them inside. The librarian nodded to them, and then hurried back down the stairs.

Shoyo watched her go, unmoving and eyes distant in thought. Tobio wasn’t sure what was going through Shoyo’s mind, likely too many things, but they didn’t have time to wait. He grabbed Shoyo’s hand and pulled them inside. The person waiting on them quickly locked everything back in place.

The room was small and the ceiling slanted and cramped. A heater sat in the middle of the room, thankfully keeping the chill at bay. There was a family huddled together in one corner, sharing food, and a single male in another corner, covered in a blanket and seemingly asleep.

“Names?” The man that had ushered them inside asked.

“This is Hinata Shoyo.” Tobio waved his hand to indicate the unusually silent man beside him.

“Ah! We were getting worried. We received news that the road block had moved and we were afraid you wouldn’t make it in time.”

“We had to walk through the forest.” Tobio looked down at his dirtied clothing.

“I can see that,” the man chuckled. “I’m just glad you both are unhurt. Come, sit down, I’ll get you both some food.”

“Thank you.”

Tobio pulled Shoyo over to a free corner and sat back against the short wall. Shoyo stared at his feet as he slumped down, still being quiet. Tobio was going to question it, but the man came back with bowls of something warm and delicious smelling.

“Here you are.” He sat down before them. “My name is Teppei. I’ll be coordinating everything with you. Are you both leaving?”

“Yes,” Shoyo said, but kept his eyes on his food.

Teppei offered a comforting smile. “You’re nervous now that it’s really happening, right?”

Shoyo looked up in surprise. Apparently, that had been right on the mark. “I don’t even know where we’re going.”

“Well, you have some options. In the morning, we’re going to move everyone to a speed boat to make sure we stay ahead of anyone watching for us. The boat will deliver you to a deep sea sailboat headed for international waters. Both of those boats will be fast, as speed is what we need for this. Once in international waters, it will be a lot safer.

“After that, you will meet up with some transport ships. Those will stop in a variety of places: Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand. We have groups in all of those places, but our biggest base is out of Australia. Where you decide to go is up to you.”

“Oh…”

“You’ll have time to think it over. The sailboat is stocked with books and travel guides for the various places you’ll come across. It will give you a better idea of what to do next.”

“But how do we just… start over?”

“We help you with gaining refugee status upon arrival. Don’t worry. We’re not just dropping you off somewhere to fend for yourselves.”

Shoyo nodded, but said nothing more. Instead, he started eating, as he was likely starving after their hike. Tobio just watched those slumped shoulders in concern.

“It can be a lot to process,” Teppei said. “Take you time. You’re safe here. If you need anything, I’ll be over there.” With that, he made his way back over to a space he had set up with his laptop.

Tobio decided it was best if he ate as well. They finished their meal in silence as they considered the next part of their journey. Truly, Tobio hadn’t stopped long enough to consider it. He had been so focused on getting Shoyo to safety. But moving to a new country, starting from scratch, struggling with the language… It was a daunting thing to think about.

With nothing else to do and an early hour they needed to wake up at in the morning, they decided to sleep not too long after their meal. They were provided with pillows and a blanket. Shoyo curled up tight against Tobio’s chest. They were warm and cozy with their coats under them for cushion, the blanket over them, and their body heat pressed close together.

It was easy to start drifting off to sleep, despite the nerves that ate at the back of his mind in regards to their upcoming escape from Japan. Despite how inaccurate it was, having his husband in his arms made it feel like they were both safe and protected for the time being.

“Tobio…” Shoyo whispered.

“Mm?”

“I missed you.”

Tobio took in a sharp breath and pulled Shoyo tighter against him. “I missed you more,” he murmured.

“Ass. Don’t make this a competition.” Shoyo’s voice was thick and strained. They fell into silence after that, and eventually, sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I'm shit at coming up with character names, I stole both Kousuke Houji (the case worker) and Teppei from other shows/manga. I hope you have enjoyed their cameo appearance. hehe
> 
> Dramatic finale next chapter! Then the epilogue after that. I hope you're excited! I might post the epilogue the same day because, well, it's short. Yay double post tomorrow!
> 
> I won't say too much else so I don't spoil anything. heeee


	13. Chapter 13

Soft grey light filtered through the early morning air as the group made their way through the sleepy city. The smell of the sea was strong, and the gusts of wind stronger than the day before. Everyone huddled further into their coats, and clung tighter to their bags.

Shoyo’s bright hair stood out from where it peaked under his hood. He had insisted on carrying the bag since Tobio had done so all of the day previous. It made the smaller man look bulky in the dim light, but easier to keep track of as they traveled.

Making their way through the city streets was fairly easy. They blended in with other early morning travelers, and everyone they passed kept their heads down and their attention elsewhere. It was the benefit of heading out so early.

The hardest part of the trip came when they closed in on the docks. Large stretches of open land separated them from the water. There was little to give them cover in order to hide from prying eyes. Making their way across would have to be quick and determined. Hopefully, there would be no workers to spot them, and try to stop and question them. Tobio just had to trust that Teppei knew the best route to take.

They set a brisk pace as they walked into the open. Crossing quickly and with confidence was the key. If it looked like they knew what they were doing, all would be fine. What few dock workers they could see in the distance paid them no mind. The plan seemed to be working well.

There were a few stray shipping containers placed haphazardly and the group gave them a wide berth as they advanced on them. Tobio’s heart rate kicked up and he could feel his pulse on his tongue. Everything was so quiet, yet so tense. Things were supposed to be going this well, yet it didn’t feel normal.

It seemed he wasn’t the only one thinking that. Everyone looked on edge, muscles taut, and eyes darting around the area. Shoyo shivered, but it didn’t look like it was from the cold. The hairs on the back of Tobio’s neck stood on end. Teppei pulled something from his pocket — a taser.

Was it just shared nerves? Or was everyone feeling on edge for a reason?

They were about to pass the last container. The speed boat could be seen moored in the distance. They all unconsciously picked up their pace, eyes set on their target. Something softly clattered along the ground, metallic sounding. Litter, mostly likely, kicked by someone’s foot—

“RUN!” The lone man from their group yelled and broke into a sprint. Everyone followed suit.

From the corner of his eye, Tobio saw men in uniforms rounding the shipping containers. Police! A hissing noise filled the air, and Tobio realized what the noise had been. They had thrown a gas canister at them. He immediately pulled his scarf over his nose and shouted at the others to do the same.

One of the younger children from the family stumbled, and Teppei scooped the kid up in his arms. It made the taser he held useless if he intended to carry the child. Tobio ran to keep pace with the man and held out his hand.

“Give it to me!”

Teppei handed it over without pause. Tobio glanced behind him and felt his blood run cold. Perhaps he could outrun the officers gaining on him, but the rest of the group could not They were just average people, untrained and exhausted from their attempts to find safety, weighed down by what little possessions they could carry.

They weren’t going to make it.

“Get him out of here!” Tobio ordered.

Teppei gave Tobio a look full of too many words to say. After a moment, Teppei nodded and moved to make sure Shoyo couldn’t see what was happening behind him. “We’re all together! We can make it! Run faster!”

So they did. Tobio cast one last look at the retreating back of his husband before he slowed down. The officers would make it to him first. He was prepared for that.

When their footsteps gained on him, he came to an abrupt stop, spinning around and dropping his center of gravity to keep from falling over. One leg shot out to make contact with one officer’s shin. His hand shoved the taser into the body of another. The officer screamed.

Tobio wasted no time and started running again. There were many of them and only one of him. Unfortunately, he had only slowed down two of them. He didn’t build up enough momentum to outrun those still going full speed. Someone plowed into him with force, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

He got one good taze in before someone else was on him and dropped a foot on the hand holding the weapon. His fingers went numb as he cried out. He desperately tried to force his muscles to respond, to keep hold of it, to not lose his only advantage.

It wasn’t enough. With a quick kick, the taser clattered away. Tobio started thrashing, wild punches and flailing limbs. He felt contact randomly, but it wasn’t doing much. There were so many people. He had to get out.

With a desperate lurch, he pulled himself out from under them and into open air. He shoved his foot repeatedly into faces to force them off of him. He stumbled to his feet and looked towards the line of water. The ship was there and officers were still running at it, but they wouldn’t get there in time.

 _He_ wouldn’t get there in time.

In a rush of panic, he tried to run once more. He only made it a few steps before something hit him hard in the back of his knee. It dropped him, but he’d spent countless hours learning how to dive. He caught his weight easily, and rolled over in time to fight off the next person trying to pin him down.

His breath was loud in his ears, the shouts around him were muted, and his body felt hot and numb. All he could focus on was getting away. Fighting to escape. Overcoming those that would bring him harm.

There were too many. They piled on him and forced him onto his stomach, wrenching his arms behind his back. They pressed his face into the pavement. He couldn’t move. He was trapped.

_I’m trapped!_

A noise floated over them that came from a distance. He cut his eyes up to see the speed boat tearing through the waves, officers were slowing to a stop by the water, knowing it was pointless. It meant the others had escaped. It meant Shoyo was safe.

Tobio’s eyes searched for any sign of his husband. A futile effort, since they should all be hidden as far down as possible to protect themselves from wind or attack. Yet. The bright orange puff of hair was easily seen. Shoyo was stripped of his bag and coat, fighting off those that were holding him back. It looked like he was yelling something, but he was too far away to be heard.

Shoyo was safe. That was what was important. Tobio felt his body go lax. At least Shoyo had made it out. They would keep him from making a dumb decision — keep him safe in the boat. They would get him out of Japan. They would keep him alive.

For if Shoyo ended up confined, hidden away from the world, treated as an experiment, and never allowed to do the things he loved… It would break him. Shoyo would end up nothing more than an empty shell. He had such a hard time as it was just being cooped up in the apartment. Being taken by the government would have broken him beyond repair.

So it was fine. Shoyo was safe. Tobio had accomplished his goal after so many missteps and mistakes. At least his own sins may be forgiven now.

“This is why they should have allowed us to commandeer civilian boats instead of waiting on the coast guard!” One of the officers was shouting.

“Stop complaining and radio back. Inform them of those that made it past our team.”

It wouldn’t matter. They wouldn’t catch up in time. Tobio believed that. They would be safe. Shoyo would be safe.

Tobio could barely see the thrashing man in the distance anymore, still struggling to try and get away from the others and dive into the water. What did Shoyo think he could do? Swim all the way back and fight off all the officers and then swim Tobio to safety? The idiot.

Cuffs secured themselves onto Tobio wrists and his stomach dropped. Panic filled his chest, but he tried to ignore it. What mattered was that Shoyo was safe. What mattered was that he could see Shoyo getting smaller in the distance—

He couldn’t see anything. Something had been shoved over his head. Something with thick padded fabric that covered his eyes and a strip of something tough and malleable was being forced into his mouth. They were strapping it into his head, making sure it would stay in place.

That’s when the reality of it hit Tobio. As someone with a Talent, he would be put in prison, just like this. Blinded and mute for the rest of his life, kept in solitary and never allowed to talk to others.

Fear spiked through him and he started thrashing again with more force than before. All it did was hurt himself, but he couldn’t stop it. He jerked his head around, trying to stop them from securing the band under his chin and over his head. Those bands would make sure he couldn’t rub the thing off. He’d be trapped in it.

It felt like he was suffocating.

“Hinata Tobio, you are under arrest for using a Talent on government officials, assault of an officer of the law, aiding and abetting…” But the rushing in Tobio’s ears muted the list being spoken to him.

_No, no, no, no, no. I can’t do this. Don’t do this!_

An image of his life flashed through his mind. Dressed in shapeless prison clothes, kept in a cramped room alone, never interacting with anyone in person. Not allowed to speak. Not allowed to see others. Being forced to put this horror on his own head before being moved somewhere else.

Tobio screamed into the thing in his mouth and it came out muffled. Tears stained the cloth covering his eyes. He thrashed, but it did nothing to move the people piled on top of him.

_No! Please! Help! Someone help!_

He was scared. So scared. He couldn’t breathe.

_I don’t want this!_

Why? Why was he so useless? Why couldn’t he save himself?

In an instant, the weight on top of him was gone. He lurched forward and scraped his face on the pavement before realizing his hands were bound. He stumbled wildly as he got his feet under him, head turning this way and that to find an enemy he couldn’t see. He wanted to run, but had no idea which direction to go. His muscles trembled with indecision.

Sound finally caught up with him. People were shouting in confusion, fear, and astonishment. Orders were being barked out by multiple people, but they were overlapping, contradictory, and being largely ignored. Tobio had no idea what was happening, but he took advantage of the confusion and ran in a direction away from the shouts.

Surely he would run face first into one of the shipping containers eventually. Or just run right off the docks and into the icy water. He’d be dragged down by this wet coat and bound hands. His panicked thoughts slowed his feet. But at the same time, he couldn’t _not_ run. He had to get away. Even if it killed him, he couldn’t live out his life like he was now.

Something metallic popped behind him and the officers started shouting and retching. Whatever it was sounded bad. Tobio forced his body to move further away from it. Someone screamed. Something hit the pavement in a sickening thump.

What the hell was happening back there?

Tobio couldn’t catch his breath. The thing in his mouth prevented it. He sucked cold, salty air in through his nose as hard as he could. It stung, and his eyes and throat burned from it. How long could he go before he collapsed? Who would even help someone who was cuffed and blinded like he was?

Something caught his foot and he stumbled, barely able to catch his balance in time before faceplanting into the cement. Before he could gain momentum again, something slammed into his side and sent him flying sideways. All the breath was knocked from him, and he struggled to get it back.

He braced himself for impact, but… He never fell. He was suspended, pressed against something hard, with two steel-like bands supporting him under his knees and behind his shoulders. The wind was harsh and there was the feeling of movement without the jarring of steps.

It took a long few disoriented moments for him to realize he was being carried in someone’s arms. But who? Friend or foe? And no matter which, why bridal style?

Tobio shifted, demanding to be put down as he grunted unintelligible words into the gag in his mouth. The strong arms around him locked down further, keeping him in place.

“Don’t move! I’ll drop you!”

No. No, it couldn’t be. What was all of it for if Shoyo had actually come back to land? He tried to yell as much, but it came out a garbled mess.

“Tilt your head forward, I’ll grab the back of the strap with my teeth so you can work it off.”

The top and bottom straps hadn’t been secured, so it would be possible with dedicated effort. So Tobio did as told and felt the pressure of Shoyo’s teeth sink into the bulk of the straps. Good. The sooner he had this off, the sooner he could yell at the man for coming back and risking everything.

After a long struggle and a lot of scraped skin, they finally managed to pull it off. Tobio worked his jaw, his lips feeling raw after pulling the gag out. Shoyo made a spitting sound as he dropped the thing from his mouth.

Tobio blinked into the now too bright sun, unable to see a thing until his eyes adjusted. A gust of wind hit them and Shoyo staggered and cursed. Tobio wanted to grip tighter onto the smaller man, but his hands were still cuffed behind him.

Wait… Shoyo wasn’t walking. Why had they staggered? Where the hell were they?

Blinking rapidly, Tobio cleared his vision and looked up.

And gaped in unadulterated shock.

As far as the eye could see was sky and nothing _but_ sky. Only Shoyo’s pale face and bright hair stood out against it.

Well, that and two other things.

Large copper colored wings with feathers as big as a hand, each wing easily three times the size of Shoyo, were spread out to either side. They were firmly attached to Shoyo’s back, and the bulk of them were thick with muscle and bone, covered in layers of shining feathers. They shifted constantly as they rode through the hard updrafts of wind, gliding them further out to sea.

For when Tobio looked down, all to be seen was a large expanse of ocean. The shoreline was far and distant behind Shoyo’s shoulder. Tobio let out a tiny, fearful noise of alarm, and looked back up at Shoyo with rounded eyes.

“What…”

A fiercely proud grin spread across Shoyo’s face. “I told you! I knew that omegas could have bursts as well!”

Memory flashed through Tobio of them in the park with Shoyo suspended in mid air after jumping from the swing, arms outspread, imagining what his Talent would be.

Flying. Shoyo had always believed he would fly.

He was right.

“The cops were easy to take down, too! I just flew right into them with my wings. They’re _super_ strong. Everyone toppled like bowling pins! Then I busted the top off of this can of stuff that makes alphas sick, and threw it at them! They all went down in no time! Then all I had to do was scoop you up and fly off!

“Oh, man. You should have seen the look on the faces of everyone on the boat. I mean, I don’t blame them. My wings are the coolest things ever! And I didn’t even have to struggle to use them! It’s all instinct. As long as I don’t think about it, I know just what to do!”

Shoyo was grinning like an idiot and rambling excitedly and glowing with such pride. He was beautiful. Perfect. Free.

They were both free. They were both saved. Neither of them would end up locked away in cold cement walls somewhere to rot.

They were too high up for Tobio to blame the wetness trailing down his face on the spray of the ocean. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his face into Shoyo’s shoulder. He couldn’t stop the tears from coming. He couldn’t scold Shoyo for coming to save him.

Tobio was relieved, happy, and an utter sobbing mess. The fear still hadn’t worked its way out of his system. He had been terrified and he couldn’t stop himself from being overwhelmingly grateful that he had been saved. Even if risking Shoyo’s life was the last thing he wanted.

“Shhh, it’s okay.” Shoyo’s voice was calming, and full of endearment. “I got you. We’re safe now. We’re sticking together — always. Got that?”

“Yes,” Tobio sobbed out.

Lips pressed against Tobio’s tangled hair. “I love you, Hinata Tobio.”

“I love you, Hinata Shoyo.”

The sun rose glittering over the ocean, casting a warm golden glow over the freezing waters. High above the waves were copper wings, catching the light, and flying purposefully to a new life. A life where male omegas were given little thought, and Talents were pointless magic tricks. A life where two men could just be boring husbands, spending their days arguing, having fun, and loving each other.

It was a life most people took for granted, but it was all they could ever ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like I foreshadowed the wings too much, but my beta readers were still surprised, so I hope you were surprised, too! lol There is just so much wing imagery in Haikyuu, I feel like the obvious conclusion is for Shoyo to fly. ^.^
> 
> For those that didn’t catch it, Shoyo used the canister Tsuki gave him twice: Once on the agent that tried to take him away prior to Tobio showing up at the Hinata family home (along with kicking the agent’s ass lulz), and a second time on the officers at the dock as a kind of grenade when he popped the top off of it.
> 
> Shoyo flew them out to meet with the deep sea fishing boat prior to landing. He followed the direction the speed boat was going. Everyone was very impressed. hehe In case you don’t know, all handcuffs can be taken off by the same handcuff key. Keys are small and easy to obtain and fit on your keyring. I imagine one of the activists had one so Tobio is good to go. (From a friend’s personal experience, you can’t walk into a courthouse with a handcuff key on your keyring. XD)
> 
> My goal from the beginning was to show that Shoyo wanted to take care of himself, and even as an omega, he was more than capable of doing so. Tobio was affected by gender politics without even realizing it. Though he did his best to not treat Shoyo as someone lesser, Tobio still did so unconsciously. Thus his savior complex and constantly sacrificing himself to make sure Shoyo was safe. 
> 
> Of course, it wasn’t just gender stigmas making them do stupid things, it was also that they were in love with each other. Love will make you dumb, to say the least. lol 
> 
> I wanted to make it very clear at the end of the story that the suggestion Shoyo had overcame his _fear_ of personal safety around alphas, and that felt like a violation to him. However, all of his feelings were his own. Shoyo’s mind set up a great romance because that was what he wanted, but it took a long time to admit that to himself. Coming to terms with the things that were false and true is a difficult thing to do when your basis of decision was manipulated. Suffice it to say, Shoyo never really lets Tobio live it down, but that doesn’t interfere with how much they grew to love each other.


	14. Epilogue

“You ready?” Shoyo grinned.

“Absolutely not.” Tobio knew he was frowning hard. His hands were clammy from where they gripped the metal beams to either side of him.

“Don’t be a chicken!” Shoyo laughed.

“Easy for you to say,” Tobio grumbled as he tried to swallow his stomach back down.

“If anything goes wrong, I’ll catch you!”

“Not helpful.”

Tobio took a deep breath and shifted his feet on the dry earth under him before checking the straps for the hundredth time. The sun was high in the sky and it made the drop off before him all the more stark. The hard packed earth and scruffy grass spread out in the distance below.

He was literally about to jump off a cliff.

“I’m gonna go on ahead if you wait any longer!” Shoyo challenged.

“I said I’d do it, I’m doing it!” Tobio snapped. He looked up at the colorful canopy above him. He knew it could support his weight. He had practiced with it a lot. It would be fine. Totally fine.

There was a snap of sound and Tobio looked over to see Shoyo had called his wings. They stretched high above him and quivered, seemingly happy to be out in the open once more. The look on Shoyo’s face was full of barely contained excitement.

“Let’s go!” Deciding not to wait any longer on Tobio, Shoyo ran full force and jumped into the air. His wings spread out and easily caught him, sending him gliding into the sky.

“Oi! That was a false start!” Gritting his teeth, Tobio shoved his nerves aside, picked up the frame of the hang glider, and ran.

That first moment when the straps around his waist pulled taught and his feet no longer supported him was a rush. A few seconds later, the ground below him fell away. He was officially flying, high above the earth, the warm air rushing through his hair. He sucked in a few breaths through an overly tight throat before his body finally relaxed.

The contraption held. He wasn’t plummeting to the earth. It was fine.

“Woohoooooo!” Shoyo tucked his wings in and spun before spreading them again to catch his weight.

Watching Shoyo so free and happy wiped away any worries lingering in Tobio’s mind. It was all worth it to see him like that. Tobio grinned and carefully pulled himself around to keep Shoyo in sight as the man dove, gained height, spun, and darted through the air. His hair practically glittered in the bright sunlight.

It had been four years since they arrived in Australia. It had taken quite some time to move Shoyo’s family out of Japan, but they had finally reunited last year. Everyone had mundane jobs and lived a simple life. Tobio and Shoyo had joined a local volleyball club. Everything was peaceful.

They sometimes received updates from Kenma who was still fighting for the rights of those oppressed. Tobio respected the cause, but he had no head for such politics. He was happy just living his life with his husband and helping out when requested to do so. After all, he owed the activist groups a lot.

A hawk darted in and swiped at Shoyo’s head. The man just laughed and dodged the next attack. The birds over the desert tended to be very territorial. Shoyo always found it amusing and had a bad habit of teasing them. Tobio was surprised the man hadn’t been clawed yet for it.

“Leave them alone and focus on flying!” Tobio shouted.

“They’re cute, though!” Shoyo chuckled and ducked out of the way of the new attack.

“Don’t come crying to me if you get hurt!”

“I won’t get hurt!”

“Wanna bet?”

Shoyo gave a hard grin. “Sure! If I get injured, you can be on top!”

“Why you little…” Tobio glared, but Shoyo just laughed at that and banked around to fly closer to Tobio.

“How does it feel to fly this high up?” Shoyo asked.

“Like we’re crazy.” Tobio looked out over the expanse of shifting landscapes and the dots of the city starting in the distance. Tiny specks of animals ran around far below him. The sight of an endless sky took up the majority of his view. “And amazing.”

“Right? I knew you’d love it!”

Suspended in the air, far away from anyone who could touch them, with the world spread out in all it’s potential in front of them… It felt like freedom.

Shoyo grinned wide, his smile nearly splitting his face. Tobio couldn’t help but return a smile of his own.

They were happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoyo can call his wings at will. When not in use, they disappear. He has clothes special made to allow his wings to spread without ripping his shirt apart. He wears them when he knows he’ll be flying.
> 
> Shoyo met the conditions of a burst because he felt deep inside that a necessity to his survival was Tobio’s freedom. Shoyo had a deep connection to flying and the Talent was relevant to the situation in which the burst happened. That Shoyo had a burst of Talent in order to save Tobio shows just how deeply they care for each other. It’s one of the reasons I was so excited to write about that part. Hehe
> 
> I would like to believe that Tobio swore off his Talent, but despite that, he ended up using it in the future. Mostly because Shoyo helped Tobio overcome his fear of his own Talent and start using it in smarter ways. Like when Shoyo was having a hard time getting to sleep, or a friend was trying to break a bad habit. Tobio could help with that and have full consent from the person beforehand.
> 
> So! That's all of it! I hope you guys enjoyed! Thank you for reading about my twist on the abo world. ^.^ Maybe one day soon I can revisit Haikyuu land. hehe Until then, happy reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hit up my tumblr for constant scrolling content of Spideypool, Yuri on Ice, Haikyuu, and more.  
> https://thatvixenchick.tumblr.com/
> 
> Hit up my cat's tumblr for constant scrolling content of cats!  
> https://vixen13scats.tumblr.com/


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